


The Blue Knight vs. The Kingslayer

by SeeThemFlying



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, I Am Sorry, Online Dating, Subreddit Challenge 2, Superheroes, superhero au, this is very silly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:35:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 95,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23312485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeeThemFlying/pseuds/SeeThemFlying
Summary: "Brienne, 23.Office worker by day, superhero by night. Loves cats. No smokers please."By day, Brienne Tarth is a twenty-three year old cat lover who is slowly exploring the possibility of finding a nice boyfriend through online dating. By night, she is a superhero known as The Blue Knight, who is dedicated to bringing down her archnemesis, The Kingslayer...... who she definitely does NOT have a thing for.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 1105
Kudos: 557
Collections: Jaime and Brienne Subreddit Fan Creation Challenges





	1. The Knight Cave

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. So, the subreddit challenge for this month was "Online Dating", so I decided to write a silly twist on that while bored out of my mind during my quarantine. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> *WARNING: This takes the piss out of ridiculous superhero tropes and Austen Powers, as well as our two favourite heroes*

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

Brienne bet that Bruce Wayne never spent his spare time sat in his Bat Cave, eating noodles in his pyjamas, while swiping through Tinder. Part of her thought she should feel guilty about that this was how _she_ was spending her Friday night, but then Brienne remembered she was not Batman, and her day had been _very_ stressful indeed.

When she went to the office canteen for lunch with Sansa, Brienne had briefly taken her glasses off to clean them. Looking up, she had asked the lunch lady for a portion of the mushroom risotto, and the woman had replied with a wide-eyed stare. For a horrible moment, Brienne had become convinced that the lunch lady had recognised her not as Brienne Tarth, but as the superhero the Blue Knight, who had been all over the news the evening before because she had saved an entire bus of school children from being dangled over a tank of sharks-with-fricking-laser-beams-on-their-heads by the supervillain, the Evil Queen. Luckily, Brienne had swiftly put her glasses back on and the moment had passed, but she was still nervous the lunch lady would expose her. Hence the therapeutic Knight Cave, noodles, and online dating.

Her profile was quite simple.

_Brienne, 23_

_Office worker by day, superhero by night. Loves cats. No smokers please._

Unfortunately, not all the options before her were exactly... inspiring.

Hyle was a computer programmer whose main charms were that he was alive and had a dick that worked. Ron seemed... _fine_ but kept asking her to her come to his upcoming frat reunion. Tormund at least had an interesting job - he was a wilderness guide - but he repeatedly begged Brienne to tell him how much she could bench press.

 _I don't think I'll let him know I have super strength,_ she thought, deciding not to restart their conversation. _Not only will I reveal my identity, but I will also totally emasculate him._

Considering her selections, the only person she had matched with that she felt had any potential was Jaime, a trainee architect who owned a motorbike.

_Jaime, 30_

_Architect. Looking for my lobster. Very fast runner._

_I always keep a loaded gun on my nightstand in the event of an intruder, so I can shoot myself to avoid meeting new people._

Drawn in by his relatable bio as well as his rather pretty green eyes, gold hair, and perfect six-pack, Brienne had then discovered that they had a lot in common. He loved ancient history, especially the legends of the Long Night and the fall of Valyria, just like Brienne. Although she was an only child, Brienne sympathised with Jaime's need to look out for his brother and sister in order to protect them from their overbearing father. As a superhero, Brienne knew what it was like to want to protect the innocent. But most of all it was the fact that when she had asked him who his celebrity crush was, Jaime had gone for the Blue Knight.

 _Brienne:_ That's a bit unorthodox, isn't it?

 _Jaime:_ Why? Because she's tall and strong and could break me in half? I like that in women. In fact, that was why I swiped right on you 😉

 _Brienne:_ Perv 😂

 _Jaime:_ I'm sorry if I offended you by telling you that you look like my favourite superhero. It's just that she is _hoooot,_ and so are you.

Blushing profusely at the fact Jaime found both mousy Brienne Tarth and her badass alter ego _hoooot,_ Brienne pushed ahead with her conversation.

 _Brienne:_ Well, do you want to know why I swiped right on you?

 _Jaime:_ Why?

 _Brienne:_ Because you said you run very fast, and The Kingslayer runs very fast. That's his superpower, you know. Super speed.

In fact, that was the very reason why Brienne had not managed to catch the bastard and bring him into custody, because every time she got close, he did an impression of Usain Bolt on speed and ran away from her.

There was a pause before Jaime answered.

 _Jaime:_ 👀👀👀You have a thing for the Kingslayer?

Swallowing hard, Brienne had just realised what she had just said. The Kingslayer was a super villain, who often did terrible things with the other members of the Sibling Squad - the Evil Queen and the Imp - and she was Brienne Tarth, the Blue Knight, the protector of King's Landing.

She could _not_ have a thing for the Kingslayer.

Consequently, she told Jaime so.

 _Brienne:_ No, it's just the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer go together. He's her archnemesis after all.

 _Jaime:_ Nah, I don't think he's her archnemesis.

Brienne nearly spluttered with laughter. She knew the Blue Knight better than anyone, so she knew for a _fact_ that the Kingslayer was her arch nemesis. The Evil Queen was just a bit too nuts for Brienne to really get worked up about, while the Imp didn't seem to take being a supervillain very seriously. The Night King hated all superheroes equally, so the Blue Knight was nothing special. The Mountain never had any one-liners, and the Hound's crimes were quite small fry, even though he did seem to have a thing about holding up chicken shops. In contrast, the Kingslayer was always ready to put one hundred percent into every fight with her while armed with a cutting quip. It was strangely endearing.

"Come on, come on my sweetling," he had said on the bridge, his green eyes glinting from behind his mask as he taunted her, "the music's still playing."

Picturing his masked face, Brienne knew what the Blue Knight felt about _him,_ and it was definitely stronger than anything she felt for any of the other crazed criminals she had to deal with.

 _Brienne:_ He _is_ her archnemesis. They fight all the time.

 _Jaime:_ Yeah, but I think they secretly want to bang. Did you see their fight on the Blackwater Bridge when it was on the news? In spite of the swords, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that it was all just foreplay.

That was the most ridiculous thing Brienne had ever heard. Yes, they had mixed things up by using swords that day, and yes, she had used the opportunity to pin the Kingslayer up against the wall, and _yes,_ his bulge under his latex super suit had seemed more... _bulging_ than usual, but that wasn't because he was imagining ripping her mask off and taking her on the floor. It was just because they were archenemies...

_Wasn't it?_

Suddenly feeling as if the floor of the Knight Cave was melting under her feet, Brienne put her phone down, realisation dawning.

_Oh gods, do I have a thing for The Kingslayer?_

Overtaken by dread, Brienne did not realise she was ignoring Jaime until a few minutes later, when she got a message from him.

 _Jaime:_ Sorry, I'm going to have to go. I'm going out with my sister. Chat tomorrow, yeah? 😘

Clearly wanting to hold onto some semblance of normality, Brienne forced herself to respond to Jaime, even as she was overcome by the thought of wrestling the Kingslayer and seeing for herself what was under that gold super suit.

 _Brienne:_ Okay. Chat tomorrow.

Putting her phone back down, Brienne tried to give herself a firm talking to.

 _I can't have a thing for a supervillain,_ she told herself quite insistently. _He's a sarcastic bastard who keeps calling me wench and threatening to push small boys out of the top window of very tall skyscrapers. I can't have a thing for... the Kingslayer. I just can't!_

Yet, for all her objections, Brienne found herself picturing the Kingslayer in his gold latex super suit the day they had wrestled on the Blackwater Bridge and her mouth went dry.

 _Oh shit,_ she thought with dawning horror. _I have a thing for the Kingslayer!_

 _Do I tell him?_

_No, that's ridiculous, I cannot tell a supervillain I think he's sexy._

_Should I stop online dating?_

_What? For a ridiculous crush? No!_

Trying to distract herself, Brienne put down the noodles and turned on the TV. She sat through a whole half-an-hour documentary on the ongoing reconstruction of the Wall. They interviewed the conservator, Jon Snow, who Brienne had heard rumours was actually the superhero known as the Lord Commander. However, it was clear that, during his day job, Jon Snow was very enthusiastic about medieval construction practices. His passion allowed Brienne to switch off from her newly discovered feelings for a moment, and become washed away by songs of the North...

Unfortunately, her fleeting tranquillity did not quite last until the end of the documentary as she was interrupted by the Knight Phone, which reverberated loudly around the Knight Cave. It made her jump and she scrambled to answer.

"Hello?"

"Miss Tarth," came her butler Pod's voice, stammering and nervous. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but there's been another incident. The Evil Queen and the Kingslayer have somehow taken over Visenya Hill's Radio Tower and are using it to emit mind control brain waves all over the city! They want people to vote for Senator Tywin Lannister in the next election!"

 _That's odd,_ Brienne thought. _The Sibling Squad have never taken such an overt political position before. Why now?_

Not wasting a moment, Brienne went and put her Blue Knight anti-Mind Control Brain Wave hat on, then returned to Pod to give him instructions. "Okay Pod, I'm on it. Just make sure you are safe. Shut all your windows, turn off your electrical appliances, and try and cover your ears."

"Yes Miss Tarth," Pod responded, even as his voice became slow and sluggish. "I don't want to vote for Senator Lannister. I want to vote for Catelyn Stark."

"So do I," replied Brienne quickly, knowing that she approved of Senator Stark's social care plan as well as her commitment to legalise gay marriage, "so it is important that we stop this."

However, it seemed as if she was quickly losing Pod, as he started to ramble. "Want to vote for Catelyn Stark... vote for Catelyn... vote for... vote for... vote for Tywin... vote for Tywin Lannister... vote for TYWIN LANNISTER!"

Slamming down the Knight Phone, Brienne knew she did not have much time. She had to go and confront the Evil Queen and the Kingslayer, because she was duty bound to save Pod.

She was also duty bound to save the city...

And... if she really was honest with herself... she was also duty bound to see the Kingslayer in his tight latex super suit.

He was her archnemesis after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Please consider leaving a comment or kudos!


	2. The Team Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sibling Squad try to work out how to bring down the Blue Knight...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so people seemed REALLY keen I continue this, and luckily I got a spark of inspiration. I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

"Jaime, can you hurry up? Someone will see us!" hissed Cersei as Jaime fiddled around with the key for the front door to his flat.

"Oh, I _am_ sorry if you don't want Mr Pycelle next door seeing your midriff," replied Jaime, rolling his eyes. "Maybe you should have picked a more sensible super suit. Why don't you try taking inspiration from the Blue Knight? Her costume is stylish yet comfortable, and she doesn't feel the need to flash her cleavage to the world."

Cersei raised a disapproving eyebrow at him. "Yes, but the Blue Knight has all the sex appeal of a potato."

"No, she does not..." began Jaime, before Tyrion cut across him.

"Oh, by the Seven! Father will _not_ be impressed if the three of us get caught outside Jaime's flat in our million-dragon super suits, so can you both just stop bickering and just get inside?" he moaned, folding his arms across his chest in annoyance.

Jaime and Cersei shot a look at each other.

"Tyrion doesn't want to get caught outside dressed like a fairy," said Cersei teasingly, making Jaime snigger.

"I am not a fairy!" huffed Tyrion, pulling off his uncomfortable looking mechanical wings. "I am an _imp._ The clue is in the name. Can we just hurry up?"

Not really wanting to get caught outside in his gold suit either, Jaime continued to fiddle with the tricky lock, until he eventually managed to click it open with a relieved smile. Unfortunately, as he had not left the light on inside, Jaime tripped over the welcome mat and then his own white cape, to which Cersei started tutting loudly.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked, as Jaime pulled his now soiled white cloak up off the floor. "Because if you have, that would explain why you let the Blue Knight run off with our Mind Control Brain Wave Beamer."

When Jaime started to try and make excuses, Tyrion silenced him with a teasing joke. "If Jaime was drunk on anything, it was the Blue Knight's _astonishing_ eyes."

"Oh my gods, I said that one time," huffed Jaime as he marched off to the kitchen, screwing his cloak up into a ball. All things considered, it had been a shit night, so he wanted some greasy food, a beer, and his bed.

Cersei let out a little huff of laughter as she followed him. "And there was that time you said she looked really _toned."_

"And that time she knocked you down and straddled you and you just laid there like a stunned, landed salmon until I came and rescued you," added Tyrion with a smirk.

"Admit it," said Cersei, using the tone she always adopted when she wanted to wind her twin up. "You have a thing for the Blue Knight!"

"I do not have a thing for the Blue Knight," Jaime insisted as he stomped over to the fridge and got out three bottles of beer. He hated that his siblings were always dragging him about this; Jaime thought his relationship with the sapphire-eyed warrior woman was none of their business. Their... _feelings,_ if he had to use that word, were just weird, secret things that he and the Blue Knight shared. Jaime thought it was no one else's business but theirs. "She's just my archnemesis, nothing more!"

"Then why did you let her run off with the Mind Control Brain Wave Beamer?" asked Tyrion, shoving his mechanical wings on the table along with his mask. "That cost father a lot of money, you know. We're all going to get a right bollocking when he finds out the Blue Knight has stolen it."

Jaime shrugged disinterestedly as he put the beers down on the table, and his siblings took one each. "I'm sorry," said Jaime sarcastically. "She punched me in the face then ran off with it. What was I meant to do? She has super strength. I briefly saw stars."

"We should have been better prepared," mused Tyrion, mulling over the problem as he and Cersei sat down at the kitchen table. "We should have made sure our plan was full proof before we went and held everybody in the Visenya Hill Radio Tower hostage and stuck a big Mind Control Brain Wave Beamer on the roof."

Laughing to herself, Cersei narrowed her eyes at Tyrion disapprovingly. "You do realise that it was _you_ who came up with the plan, don't you? Why are you blaming us? You are the strategist! You thought you could hold her back by moving things with your mind, but it didn't work, did it?"

"I didn't know she was going to have a Blue Knight anti-Mind Control Brain Wave hat, though, did I?" retorted Tyrion grumpily, sinking down into his chair.

"Why not?" snarked Cersei, folding her arms across her chest, her irritation a reflection of Tyrion's. "That time we tried drugging all the sharks on Blackwater Bay to bring out their predator instinct and attack tourists, she had Blue Knight Shark Repellent. And when we attempted to shrink Police Chief Wun Wun to the size of a mouse, she came prepared with a Blue Knight anti-shrink ray gun."

"She's clever like that," conceded Jaime softly, remembering her threat to reverse her ray gun's polarity and point it at his crotch unless he _backed the fuck off._ It was little things like that that made him feel special, that he was her archnemesis and not just some run of the mill criminal.

Tyrion rolled his eyes at Jaime's tone. "Not _that_ clever. Wun Wun is now a giant and she hasn't worked out how to turn him back."

"But at least he's not tiny," retorted Jaime, thing that her small victory was better than anything the Sibling Squad had ever achieved.

Growing agitated at his brother's defence of his archnemesis, Tyrion slammed his fist down on the table. "I don't care if Chief Wun Wun is tiny or a giant or whatever. The point is that Blue Knight outwitted us... _again!_ We've got to work out how to defeat her, or father's plan for the election will never succeed."

Jaime let out a sigh as he began searching the fridge for the ingredients to make a bacon sandwich. Their father was a billionaire who had used his money and access to top level scientists to experiment on his children, ensuring they had powers greater than their peers. Like everything else in his life, Tywin Lannister's children were tools at his disposal, so, quite naturally, he was just utilising them in his latest plan for world domination. This time, he had ambitions to swing the Westerosi Election in order to become Seven Kingdom's most powerful man, as well as the richest. From there, the stars.

"So what if father's plot doesn't succeed?" muttered Jaime once he located the bacon, ketchup, and butter. "Senator Stark has a good social care plan, and she wants to legalise gay marriage. I might vote for her."

However, Cersei and Tyrion didn't hear him and were already strategizing on what they could do next to foil the Blue Knight.

"Maybe I can use my powers on her?" suggested Cersei, flicking her cascade of blonde hair over her shoulder. "I can turn any man into a ball of simmering lust and make them my slave... and the Blue Knight is close enough to a man that it might work."

Although Jaime spun around and went to lambast Cersei for being so rude about the Blue Knight, Tyrion cut across him once more. "Your powers didn't work on Renly Baratheon though, did they?"

Cersei gave her brother a withering expression at the reminder of the one time her powers had not worked. "When I was sixteen, I managed to turn every boy in my year into my willing sex slave with just a flick of my hair. Just because it didn't work on Renly Baratheon, it doesn't mean I am not irresistible!"

"Yeah, but you also accidentally turned _me_ into your sex slave," huffed Jaime as he went to find the bread. "It was all very awkward for everyone involved."

At the resurrection of that horrible memory, Cersei looked at Jaime apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was a horny teenager and I hadn't quite got control over my powers yet. And you can't talk. We didn't see you for six months because you ran so fast absolutely everywhere that you were invisible."

"Still less awkward than making accidental sex slaves," replied Jaime, as he put two slices of bread in the toaster. "Cousin Lancel has been traumatised for life."

Flaring her nostrils in annoyance, Cersei went to bite back, but Tyrion held his hand up to silence her. "We're not talking about Cousin Lancel, nor accidental sex slaves; we're here to discuss the Blue Knight. We have to stop her foiling every single one of her plans to make father the President, or he will use his powers on us... and _none_ of us want that."

At the mention of their father's powers, all three of the Lannister siblings shared an uneasy look. In all the years they had lived under their father's tyranny, he had only unleashed the full extent of his superpower once, and that was when Tyrion had brought his high school girlfriend Tysha home. Nobody wanted a repeat of _that_ incident, so Jaime and his siblings were all determined that their father _would_ become President of Westeros, even if that was only to get him off their backs.

"Then what do we do?" asked Jaime lamely as he started to fry his bacon. "Everything we try, she stops us... because she is just talented like that."

Tyrion wrinkled his nose as he tried to think. "What if Cersei used her powers on the High Sparrow and all the members of the Faith Militant, made them her slaves, and then got them to preach the gospel of Tywin Lannister in their pulpits?"

"Terrible idea," snorted Jaime over the sound of the hissing bacon. "If Renly Baratheon is not into Cersei, then the High Sparrow is definitely not, either."

Cersei let out a hum of agreement, before trying another tack. "What if we put a giant laser on the moon and threaten to blow the entire planet up unless everyone votes for father?"

Both Tyrion and Jaime then turned to look at their sister, united in agreement that she really was the stupidest Lannister. "Look Cers," said Tyrion gently, as if he were talking to a very dim but enthusiastic child. "Father has a big budget, but not _that_ big."

"Hover boards?" suggested Jaime, still cooking up his bacon.

Tyrion narrowed his eyes at him in confusion. "What about them?"

"Dunno, it's just I've always wanted to try them. I think we should come up with a plan that involves hover boards."

"Oooh!" said Cersei happily, clapping her hands. "Or just anti-gravity boots. Anti-gravity _stilettos,_ in fact. They would scare the _shit_ out of the Blue Knight, because she always turns up for a fight in such sensible footwear."

As Jaime gave Cersei a high five, Tyrion rolled his eyes. "Guys. We've got to be _serious._ The Kingslayer, the Evil Queen, and the Imp will not be defeated by someone who comes and kicks our arses wearing poorly fitting armour. We're Lannisters, for Seven's sake!"

At Tyrion's analysis of the Blue Knight's look, Jaime shook his head. "I don't think the Blue Knight's armour is poorly fitting, I just think..."

"You would," interrupted Cersei, raising one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "She could turn up in a bin bag and you would still think she looked hot."

Jaime went to respond to that accusation, but the Tyrion started shouting in frustration. "NO! NO! NO! We are NOT here to talk about the Blue Knight's fashion sense. We need to work out how to CRUSH HER, so she never thinks about challenging us again. So come on, people. We need IDEAS!"

In light of the urgency of the situation, for the next half an hour, Jaime, Tyrion, and Cersei sat around the kitchen table talking about the best way to totally incapacitate the Blue Knight. While Tyrion was working himself up into a rage to put him in the best frame of mind for brainstorming, Jaime just felt hungry rather than wrathful, so just ate his bacon sandwich and listened to his siblings' plotting.

"Jaime!" chided Cersei when she worked out what he was doing. "You've got ketchup all down your super suit!"

Groaning, Jaime looked down to discover that she was right. At the dead centre of his super suit was a little blob of ketchup, as perfectly circular as the bullseye in the middle of a dart board. It looked like he had been shot. "Oh, seven hells," he muttered, irritated. "I'm going to have to get this dry cleaned."

"Can you even get super suits dry cleaned?" asked Tyrion, with a sceptical raise of his eyebrow.

Jaime shrugged. "I don't know, but there is always a first time for everything."

After cussing a few more times and staring down at his ruined suit, he then looked up at his brother and sister, who were gazing at him with amusement in their eyes. "Look, I've had a long day, especially after this whole Mind Control plan went tits up, so maybe you two could just go home, yeah?"

At his implied instruction, Cersei started pouting at him. "But we've got to work out how to defeat the Blue Knight."

"You know, for one night, I would like to think of _something_ other than the Blue Knight," muttered Jaime, before rubbing at the stain on his suit.

Tyrion's stare grew sharp and teasing. "Why? Do you normally think about the Blue Knight at night, Jaime?"

At his brother's question, Jaime felt his cheeks flame up in a blush. "I... I... I..."

"He _does,_ " gasped Cersei, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. "Weren't you claiming a little while ago that she was just your archnemesis? From what you are saying, it seems you dream about her."

"Sex dreams," giggled Tyrion, which earned him a high five.

Feeling his annoyance bubbling over, like lava in an erupting volcano, Jaime pulled a disapproving expression. He was so bored of this conversation. Not wanting to be tormented about his relationship with the Blue Knight anymore, he put his foot down. "Get out, both of you. Sibling Squad planning meetings will have to wait for another day!"

"But Jaime..." began Tyrion, clearly wanting to argue his point.

Unfortunately for him, Jaime did not let him. "No, Tyrion. I'm tired and covered in ketchup. I just want to go to sleep, so can you please leave now?"

Sensing that their brother was not going to tolerate any objections, both Tyrion and Cersei got to their feet, with the former picking up his mechanical wings in the process. "Okay," sighed Tyrion, "but we really do have to sort out this Blue Knight problem, so can we please try and schedule a planning meeting later this week?"

"Yes, that's fine," said Jaime, before starting to ferry Tyrion and Cersei in the direction of the front door. "Now go! I need my beauty sleep."

Without further argument, Jaime watched as his siblings trudged down the hallway and back towards the front door. Once they got there, Cersei turned around and flashed a particularly radiant smile in his direction.

"Don't think about the Blue Knight too much tonight, Jaime. You do need _some_ sleep."

Flaring red once more, he gave her a gentle shove to get her to move. "Goodnight Cersei," Jaime said, fixing a false smile on his face.

"Goodnight Kingslayer," she replied, laughing. "And don't forget to wash your super suit, will you? Ketchup is not a good look."

Once Tyrion and Cersei had gone, Jaime headed straight for his bedroom. Laying down on his bed, still wearing his super suit and his mask, Jaime flicked the TV on. To his immense joy, Channel 4 was playing a repeat of a Jon Snow documentary on the history of the Wall. Although the dour northerner often spoke in a monotone, he had the ability to lull any listener into a restful calm as he pulled them into the grim stories of never-ending winter, endless night, monsters in the dark, and authentic period architecture.

For some reason, it made Jaime think of Brienne, so he messaged her.

 _Jaime:_ Hey, you still up?

 _Brienne:_ Yes, but I have just got into bed. Are you back from seeing you sister?

 _Jaime:_ Oui, oui mon ami.

 _Brienne:_ Did you have a good time?

 _Jaime:_ It was alright. My brother came in the end too, and the three of us just decided to hang out. A nice bit of sibling bonding. What about you? Did you have a night in?

 _Brienne:_ No. I ate noodles in my bat cave and then decided to pop out for a while. Nothing major. What you up to?

 _Jaime:_ Lying in my bed watching the TV. There's a repeat of a Jon Snow documentary on. He's talking about the secret door in the Nightfort that could have been used thousands of years ago to facilitate child sacrifices 🙀🙀🙀

 _Brienne:_ 😻I saw that one earlier. It was sooooo good. Do you think he's right? That our ancestors sacrificed babies to the Others?

 _Jaime:_ Nah.

 _Brienne:_ Then what do you think the door was used for?

 _Jaime:_ Dating. Medieval style.

 _Brienne:_ 😂😂😂Wtf are you talking about?

Laughing to himself, Jaime hovered his thumb over the buttons on his phone, trying to come up with the best way of saying it.

 _Jaime:_ Well, the Night's Watch was a celibate knightly order that defended the realms of men from god knows what in the middle of winter, wasn't it? Unless Castle Black had Westeros' first gay bar, I imagine that all those horny bastards snuck north of the wall to get it on with all those sexy Amazonian wilding women. Free-spirited chicks who aren't afraid to swing a sword would definitely get _me_ hot under the collar, so I don't see why it should be any different for them.

 _Brienne:_ You are so bad. 😂😂😂

 _Jaime:_ Not my fault that the ancient members of the Night's Watch weren't able to pop on Tinder and talk to attractive women with an interest in medieval history, is it?

 _Brienne:_ 😊😊Stop it

 _Jaime:_ No, I won't. It is an honour and privilege to be talking to you, Brienne.

Taking a deep breath, Jaime steeled himself for what he needed to say next.

 _Jaime:_ And I think we should meet up. I think we should go on a date.

With his guts twisting themselves into knots, Jaime held his breath, anxiously awaiting her reply.

However, it turned out Brienne was not merciful, as she decided to leave him hanging on the three dots of doom while she figured her shit out. So, in his state of tortured anticipation, Jaime went back to the main menu and began to flick through her profile pictures. All three of them were great. In the first she was halfway up a rock climbing wall, gritting her teeth in exertion. She was lying on the beach in the second, her toned midriff visible due to her blue bikini. And the last picture was the best of all; Brienne was in a gym holding a very heavy looking barbell above her head, every muscle straining. If the rock climbing and the beach photo weren't enough, that had _really_ done it for him.

Just as his breathing grew heavier, Brienne answered him.

 _Brienne:_ I'll think about it, Jaime. I'll think about it.

After the night he had had, it felt like a victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As ever, I love to hear what you think in the form of comments or kudos. They make my heart sing!


	3. Pow! Wham! Bam!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne prepares to go on a date with Jaime...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am sorry this took a while, but this chapter is quite long so I hope it makes up for it!
> 
> As you can see, I have a LOVELY new piece of fic art by hillaryschu that clearly shows both the Kingslayer and the Blue Knight and how I imagine their costumes to be for all the people that were asking. I want to thank her SO MUCH!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

Although they were communicating by text message, Brienne could almost hear Sansa screaming when she told her that she had finally agreed to go on a date with Jaime.

 _Sansa:_ ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?

 _Brienne:_ Yes, I am serious. Why don't you think I'm being serious?

 _Sansa:_ BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING ON A DATE WITH AN ACTUAL MAN!!! A MALE OF THE SPECIES!!! AN OWNER OF A Y-CHROMOSOME!!! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID THAT??

In truth, Brienne could not remember, but she had been busy. Ever since her father had died and she had inherited the mantle of the Blue Knight from him, Brienne had been dedicated to defending King's Landing from anybody who would try to terrorise the city; the Kraken who had summoned a hurricane and threatened to drown the city in a deluge, the Spider who had hypnotised hundreds of children and held them all hostage, and the Hound who had held up so many fried chicken shops that Brienne had lost count.

It meant that she had little time for dating.

 _Brienne:_ 🤷 I've been busy.

 _Sansa:_ Doing what? We _both_ work in advertising and we _both_ know you only took that job so you could lustfully stare at our very gay creative designer Renly all day long, so what exactly have you been busy doing in your spare time other than the aforementioned lustful staring?

Stopping terrorists. Sword fighting on bridges. Punching the Kingslayer in the face.

 _Brienne:_ You know. Stuff.

 _Sansa:_ Watching _Netflix_ is what you mean, and not the _Netflix and Chill_ kind.

Although Brienne wanted to vehemently deny that accusation, she kept her mouth shut, because while she and Sansa were best friends... Sansa did not know she was the Blue Knight. In fact, nobody other than Pod did, and that was only because his father had been her father's butler due to some sort of weird family tradition.

It was a burden that she had to bear alone.

Given Brienne's extended meditation on that depressing thought, when she did not instantly respond, Sansa lost her patience and started making plans.

 _Sansa:_ If I wasn't at this stupid fundraiser dinner with my mum, I would be round there right now helping you pick out an outfit!!! What is this guy into? Does he want Preppy Brienne, Emo Brienne, Dorky Brienne...?

 _Brienne:_ 🤷 He likes motorbikes, medieval history, and superheroes.

 _Sansa:_ OOOOOOOOHHHH! We'll dress you up as the Blue Knight on her Knight Bike. He'll be SO into it. 😂😂😂

 _If only she knew,_ thought Brienne darkly.

 _Brienne:_ I was thinking something more casual.

 _Sansa:_ Of course you were. Can you send me a photo of this dude? I want to check out his vibe.

Although she did not particularly want to send Sansa a picture of her date, Brienne knew that if she didn't, Sansa would go on and on and _on_ about it for the rest of both their natural lives. Consequently, Brienne quickly downloaded a photo from Jaime's dating profile and texted it to Sansa, waiting for the inevitable judgement.

There was an extended pause of consideration as Sansa weighed him up.

 _Sansa:_ Oh my god Brie.

 _Brienne:_ What?

 _Sansa:_ He's🔥.

 _Brienne:_ I know.

 _Sansa:_ You need to 🚒 then 🧯 then 💋, maybe with a side order of 👅. Then you can 🍆➡👌 and then you'll be 🥵.

 _Brienne:_ I'm sorry, I don't speak Old High Emoji, you'll have to translate.

 _Sansa:_ I'M SAYING HE'S HOT AND YOU SHOULD GET IT ON!!!

 _Brienne:_ He's out of my league.

 _Sansa:_ He's out of everyone's league, babe, but he's asked _you_ on this date. Make the most of your opportunity.

Although Brienne very much tried not to think of her date with Jaime as a big deal - * _eventhoughsheknewitwasanditwasgivingherheartpalpitations_ * - Sansa was having none of it. The next day after work, she insisted on taking Brienne up town to go shopping so she would have something to wear that wasn't a pair of tracksuit bottoms with the word _Juicy_ written across her arse. After much deliberating, Brienne eventually settled on a new pair of jeans, a rather cool looking leather jacket, and a blue vest top.

"You should get the heels to match," declared Sansa.

Brienne let out a derisive little scoff. "Are you on drugs? I don't need to look any more giant than I already am."

"He might like it," suggested Sansa coyly with a gentle shrug. "You do look pretty majestic in a good set of heels."

As Sansa had an enviable way with words, she persuaded Brienne to buy them, but by the time they were back in Sansa's car, Brienne was already regretting her decision. "I'll just have to make sure we end up somewhere I can sit down," Brienne declared, taking the heels out of their bag and eyeing up the very terrifying looking heel. "I doubt Jaime anticipated he is going out with Police Chief Wun Wun."

"Stop doing yourself down," insisted Sansa. "You go be you and if he doesn't love you, he's a fool."

Yet, even though she wanted to believe in Sansa's message of all-conquering self-love, when she got home, she messaged Jaime.

 _Brienne:_ Are you alright with me wearing heels?

 _Jaime:_ Yeah, why wouldn't I be?

 _Brienne:_ Because I'm tall.

 _Jaime:_ How tall?

Letting out a sigh, Brienne sat down on her bed. She could lie, say she was 5"5 and get at least one date out of Mr Out-of-Everyone's-League, or she could just tell the truth and hope. She closed her eyes as she worked her way through her dilemma. Yet, Brienne quickly came upon the answer. She was the Blue Knight; honour and virtue ran through her veins. She _had_ to be truthful.

 _Brienne:_ 6"3.

After her fit of honesty, there followed a pause so long that Brienne was convinced she could have fitted the rise and fall of the Valyrian Freehold in it. Eventually, however, Jaime put her out of her misery.

 _Jaime:_ 🥵

Spluttering with laughter, Brienne fell back on her bed.

Maybe this would work out after all.

* * *

On Saturday - the day of the date itself - Brienne took her time to get ready. Wanting to treat herself, she filled up her bathtub right to the brim and threw in a lavender scented bath bomb, before letting the warm water wash over her.

 _It will be nice to meet Jaime,_ she thought. _Even if he doesn't think we should go on anywhere else after the drink, it will be nice to go on a date with someone like him._

_Just this once._

After she finished her bath, Brienne washed her hair, choosing her best smelling shampoo to make sure she had the aroma of a freshly picked piece of fruit, rather than cheap soap. If she could not look hot, at least she could smell (and even taste, in case he kissed her) good. Once she had dried her hair, she put her Sansa-approved outfit on and eyed herself up in the mirror. Just as she began to psyche herself up, her phone buzzed.

 _Jaime:_ Looking forward to meeting you x

Although his message was sweet, those simple words derailed her mantra, and a breath caught in Brienne's throat as old insecurities bubbled to the surface. Jaime was beautiful - blond, muscular, and with all the appeal of a fitness model - while she was _not._ At the best of times, the only way she ever felt confident about herself was when she was hiding behind the Blue Knight's mask, feeling her super strength coursing through her muscles. But the thought of Brienne Tarth wearing a pair of six inch heels while chatting to a man _way_ out of her league? Terrifying.

 _You can't back out now,_ she told herself, scrutinising herself in the mirror. _You've agreed to meet Jaime and he is looking forward to seeing you. You are brave, you are strong, you can do this. Nothing will stop you meeting him. Nothing will..._

RING. RING. RING.

Looking down at her hand, Brienne realised her phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

"Brienne?" came Pod's voice, stammering and nervous. "I am sorry to call but... have you seen the news?"

Trying to hide her sigh, Brienne scrambled around for a response. "No I haven't," she confessed, the weight of duty and honour pressing down on her heart. "What's going on?"

However, she did not rely on Pod for her answer. Turning the TV on, Brienne instantly landed on the 24 Hour News Channel, presented by Jeyne Poole. Given the blaring police sirens and the fact that Jeyne was speaking so fast that she was barely taking a breath, Brienne had a horrible suspicion that she would not be meeting Jaime this evening after all.

"... as you see, the police already have the museum surrounded and are warning civilians not to enter," gasped Jeyne, pointing back at the Baelor Museum, which was surrounded by police cars with flashing lights. "The Sibling Squad are classified as one of the most dangerous supervillain groups in the city, ever since their leader, the Kingslayer, murdered former King's Landing Senator Aerys Targaryen in cold blood..."

Normally, Brienne would be instantly riled up and a little hot under the collar about the thought of facing off against the Kingslayer, but now all she could think about was Jaime and the fact she wouldn't get to meet him.

She was going to punch the Kingslayer _very_ hard in the face for this.

"What the hell are they doing, Pod?" she asked, as Jeyne Poole started pointing out the large number of police officers in the process of besieging the Baelor Museum. "And why are they doing it tonight?"

"I don't know," her butler stammered in response. "As far as I can gather, they tripped the alarm in the Age of Heroes Gallery. Although all the curators are being held hostage, one of them managed to get a call out to the police to tell them she saw the Evil Queen and the Imp dashing into the current exhibition on legendary horns."

Brienne furrowed her brow. "Legendary horns? Like, drinking horns? For fermented milk?"

"No," replied Pod without a hint of humour in his voice. "Apparently like _steal-a-dragon-when-you-blow-it_ or _bring-down-the-Wall_ type horns. Dangerous stuff."

Brienne's heart fell even further. "Oh gods. Who knows what the Sibling Squad would do if they got their hands on one?"

"Precisely, so you need to go to the Baelor Museum _now,_ before it is too late!"

Part of her wanted to tell Pod the truth; that she was meant to be going on a date this evening with a guy who was out of everyone's league whom she seemed to have a lot in common with and, therefore, some other superhero should do something about it. The Lord Commander. The Young Wolf. Flower Power. _Anybody._

Yet Brienne did not. Instead, she let out another sigh and remembered what her father had told her when he had informed her it was her destiny to follow him as the Blue Knight: _young or old, a true knight is sworn to protect those who are weaker than himself, or die in the attempt._

There was no other choice.

"Okay, Pod. I'll be there as soon as I can. I just have to send a message first."

* * *

As Brienne dashed across the city, her heart hammering at the thought of kicking the Kingslayer's head in, the message she had sent Jaime kept reverberating around and around her mind.

 _Brienne:_ Hey, I am so sorry. I've had a bit of a family emergency. I am going to have to reschedule. Are you around any nights this week?

She had found the fact that he responded so quickly exciting and disheartening in equal measure.

 _Jaime:_ Oh, that's a shame. 😢 I hope everything is okay and that we can rearrange.

No alternate time or date. No alternate plans. Just vague hopes that the two of them could meet up sometime. Brienne could not help but feel as if she had lost her only chance with the sole man on the internet who had seemed halfway decent.

 _I am going to kill the Kingslayer when I see him,_ she thought angry. _And punch out all those perfect straight teeth of his for good measure._

When she arrived at the Baelor Museum, the police wasted no time in creating a path through the siege line to allow the Blue Knight through. Police Commissioner Jacelyn Bywater gave her a brief rundown of what was happening, but it was not much more informative than what Pod had told her already.

"So have all three of the Sibling Squad have been sighted?" she asked, looking at the plan of the museum that had been shoved in her hand.

Police Commissioner Bywater shook his head. "No, we've only laid eyes on the Evil Queen and the Imp. But you never know with the Kingslayer as he runs so fast. We might not have noticed him."

 _Oh, you always notice him,_ the Blue Knight thought with annoyance. _Him and those bloody dimples of his._

"Thank you, Officer Bywater," she said, tucking the map underneath the plate armour she wore as part of her super suit. "I am sure I can recover whatever they have stolen and free the hostages in the process."

Office Bywater smiled with hope. "Good, because as far as we can gather, the Valyrian glyphs on Dragonbinder could do some _serious_ damage. It is important the museum gets it back."

"For that reason as well as the fact it is an important historical artefact that tells of the mytho-cultural roots of our society which belongs to the citizens of King's Landing, and not a band of deranged criminals." When Officer Bywater just looked at her confusedly, Brienne just shook her head and changed tack. "Nevermind. Which way is the best into the Museum?" As it turned out, the police had closed off all entrances and exits to the museum apart from the front door, meaning the Blue Knight could walk in as an authorised emissary of the King's Landing Police.

On entering, the Blue Knight discovered the Baelor Museum was quiet. "Hello?"

No answer.

Over the years, Brienne had visited the Baelor Museum countless times because there was nothing that she loved more than a good historical exhibition. Not only did the Baelor have its historic horn collection, but it also boasted an original copy of _A Song of Ice and Fire_ and a real glass candle. As she walked past an ancient Stormlander statue of the Maiden, Brienne wondered if Jaime would like to come here on date two; he was into history as well, after all.

When the Sibling Squad did not make an immediate appearance, the Blue Knight marched to the front desk, where she found a terrified looking receptionist wearing a name badge labelled _Senelle_ tied to her chair with her mouth taped shut. Not wasting any time, the Blue Knight set about freeing her.

"Thank god!" she gasped the second the Blue Knight ripped off the duct tape. "The Sibling Squad are here! They've kidnapped all the curators and tied me up!"

Trying to shush her, the Blue Knight spoke to her soothingly. "I know. Have you seen all three members of the Sibling Squad?"

Senelle shook her head. "No, just the Imp and the Evil Queen. They locked everyone in the basement then went up to the horn exhibition."

 _Typical,_ thought Brienne bitterly. _The Sibling Squad ruin my date with Jaime and the Kingslayer can't even be bothered to turn up._

Hiding her annoyance, the Blue Knight tried to be positive for Senelle. "Good," she replied, a plan formulating in her head. "Can you go down to the basement and free everybody for me? Then lead them out the front door? I believe the Evil Queen and the Imp will be distracted by whatever they are trying to steal in the gallery."

As Senelle looked to be on the verge of escape, her face fell at the Blue Knight's request. "Me? Go down to the basement? But _you_ are the superhero!"

_Yes, a superhero who should be on a date with a super-hot guy right now._

"We all have to be a superhero once in our lives, Senelle," Brienne said wisely, with all the gravitas as if she expected this quote to end up in the teaser trailer for the _Blue Knight Returns_ film. "And this is your chance. So go!"

Although she still looked nervous and fearful, the Blue Knight's sterling words had clearly inspired Senelle as, instead of dashing out the front door, she headed off to the basement. It left the Blue Knight free to deal with the Sibling Squad. As she made her way through the Baelor Museum looking for the criminals, the Blue Knight heard them before she saw them.

"Stop having a go at me!" came a female voice that the Blue Knight recognised as belonging to the Evil Queen when she reached the exhibit door. "What was I meant to do? Not smash the case?"

"Yes!" said a second voice, which would only belong to the Imp. "As we discussed earlier, although we can use Dragonbinder to summon a dragon, it is still a rare historical artefact that needs care..."

"Oh gods, have you been watching those Jon Snow documentaries that our brother loves so much?"

"Might have, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't..."

Quite fed up with their squabbling, the Blue Knight marched into the room, her head held high. As expected, the Evil Queen and the Imp were standing next to a smashed exhibition case, the latter holding the carefully decorated Dragonbinder in his hands. When the Blue Knight entered, both supervillains stopped bickering at once and gazed at her with matching tense expressions.

"Where is the Kingslayer?" the Blue Knight asked, determined to confirm outright that the last member of the Sibling Squad was absent and not just zipping about the place, even though Pod, Officer Bywater, and Senelle had already told her as much.

While the Imp just looked at her nervously, the Evil Queen broke into a laugh. "He's on a date, actually. Why, does that bother you?"

"Yes," answered the Blue Knight honestly. Why was it fair that the Kingslayer got to go and woo some poor unsuspecting woman while Brienne had been forced to reschedule her date with Jaime? "Because _I_ was meant to be on a date this evening too, but because of your bullshit I am here with you two squabbling about antique horns! So can you just do us all a favour and hand over Dragonbinder, and then I _might_ consider letting the two of you go."

At her proposition, the two siblings looked at one another before coming back with a joint response.

"No, I think we are alright. We need the Dragonbinder!" smirked the Evil Queen, her green eyes glinting behind her mask.

"Why?" asked the Blue Knight, wanting to keep them both talking as she came up with a plan. In the absence of the Kingslayer, the biggest threat in the room was the Imp with his ability to move things with his mind. In contrast, the Blue Knight was immune to the Evil Queen's powers, so apart from a mean high kick, Brienne had little to worry about there. "What would you need it for?"

The Evil Queen went to respond, but when she realised that she did not actually have an answer, she turned to her brother. He just rolled his eyes at her. "To summon dragons of course!"

"And what would you two want with dragons?"

While the Evil Queen shrugged and mumbled something about accessories, the Imp started gesticulating and manically laughing. "SO WE CAN BURN DOWN THE CITY AND RULE OVER EVERYONE, AND I CAN BE THE MONSTER YOU ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS!"

The Imp continued to laugh for a little longer, before he began to choke and was forced to stop. The Blue Knight looked at him with a sceptical expression. "Are we done now? Don't you think that was a little OTT?"

"Maybe," he confessed, with a shrug of his shoulders. "But we are supervillains, honey, so sometimes we just have to get into _character!"_

Before the Blue Knight could say anything in response, the Imp waved his arm and suddenly a huge statue of a Summer Islander fertility goddess came smashing out of the case next to her. Catching it with both hands thanks to her super strength, the Blue Knight struggled with it for a few moments before just about managing to set it on the floor. Just like Dragonbinder, the statue was part of the cultural legacy of the city, so the Blue Knight would not see it destroyed, even if the Imp lobbed it at her head using his superpowers.

Unfortunately, the Imp's little trick had given the Imp and the Evil Queen time to flee. Disappearing behind the door into the next gallery, they both had a head start.

 _I won't let them get away,_ Brienne told herself. _Not with a horn from the Age of Heroes that belongs to the people of King's Landing!_

When the Blue Knight entered the next room, it became clear that the Sibling Squad were not going to make this easy for her, as the Imp kept throwing priceless artefacts at her with his mind. An empty barrel of wildfire. Some weird Dornish sex toy. A deceptively heavy looking cloak that belonged to a member of the Night's Watch. However, the Blue Knight's legs were significantly longer than the Evil Queen and the Imp's combined so, even though she kept having to duck to avoid huge medieval helms whacking her in the face, she eventually caught up with them.

The Imp seemed to realise it too.

"Catch!" he cried as the Blue Knight drew near, flinging the priceless horn in his sister's direction. Although the Blue Knight's stomach swooped in terror, the Evil Queen managed to catch it, but instead of running away, she just stared at it in horror. Not wasting any time, the Blue Knight seized the Imp by the scruff of the neck and threw him back against the wall, causing his head to nastily smack against the brick and creating a huge crack behind him. As the Imp slumped down to the floor, the Blue Knight could see he was dazed. That was a good thing as, in all the time she had known him, the Blue Knight had become aware that if the Imp did not have full mental capacity, he could not use his powers very well. However, it did not prevent him from calling out to his sister.

"Take the horn!" cried the Imp groggily from his crumpled position on the floor. "And RUN!"

The Evil Queen looked at him as if he had gone mad. "I can't! I've got my new super stilettos on and I might break the heel!"

Even though he was on the verge of unconsciousness, the Imp rolled his eyes. "No one gives a shit about your new super stilettos! Just go!"

Given the glint in the Blue Knight's eye, the Evil Queen had little choice than to begin to totter-sprint across the gallery, looking as steady in her new shoes as a new-born fawn on its spindly legs. Consequently, it did not take the Blue Knight long to catch up with her. Grabbing her shoulder, the Blue Knight spun the Evil Queen around and forced her to look into her angry blue eyes.

"GIVE ME DRAGONBINDER!" she shouted, not wanting to damage the artefact by just snatching it from the Evil Queen. "NOW! OR I WILL PUNCH THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU!"

Having been expecting some sort of resistance, the Blue Knight was therefore very surprised when the Evil Queen gave her a gentle smile and deposited Dragonbinder into her hand. "Okay, you can have it! Just don't punch me! I have a very cute nose and if you break it, it will throw off the whole symmetry of my face... and I have _perfect_ facial symmetry!"

 _I wasn't expecting THAT!_ thought the Blue Knight.

"Thank you, Evil Queen," she replied bemusedly, momentarily tempted to punch her before remembering she was honourable and that would be a very shitty thing to do. "I'm just going to go now..."

Turning on her heel, the Blue Knight made to move towards the exhibition's exit, leaving the Evil Queen (with her perfect facial symmetry intact) and the semi-conscious Imp in her wake. She had retrieved the Dragonbinder and all the hostages! Therefore, Brienne could reassure herself with the fact that she had at least saved a priceless historical artefact for the nation, even though she had missed out on her date with Jaime...

Suddenly, there was a flash of light which caused the Blue Knight to skid to a halt.

"Hey wench, what ya doing?"

The Blue Knight sighed; he was here at last. Having raced into the room faster than a speeding bullet, the Kingslayer had finally made his grand entrance. Golden and wonderful, in the dim light of the gallery, the Kingslayer appeared a priceless piece of art that belonged in a museum. Entirely unruffled by his quicker than light sprint, the Kingslayer looked majestic in his gold super suit and his white cape, though she had to admit she thought there was a little stain on the former. Even so, the Kingslayer was still ethereally beautiful.

 _Bastard,_ she thought.

Scowling at him, the Blue Knight tried to distract him from the situation at hand. "Why are you here? I thought you were on a date?"

He shrugged as if his change of plans was no big deal. "She cancelled, so I decided to come here and ask you out instead. I think we've got a little something going on."

"I would _never_ go out with you," spat the Blue Knight angrily, even as she started blushing.

She thought the Kingslayer would reply to that - witty and cutting - but instead it was his brother. "That is debateable."

"He would go out with _you,"_ added the Evil Queen with a smirk, her hands still protecting her nose.

If the Blue Knight was a young, romantic girl, she might think the Kingslayer blushed at that statement but, as she was a noble hearted warrior, she took it for mockery. "Well it doesn't even matter, because I am here for Dragonbinder not _you,_ so I'll see you later."

Realising the exit was now blocked off by the Kingslayer, the Blue Knight mapped out an alternative route in her head. Knowing that the police had closed off all exits other than the main one, the Blue Knight thought it was just about possible that if she ran up onto the roof, she would be able to escape down the external fire exit.

She just needed time and a little head start.

Therefore, not giving the Kingslayer another moment to ponder, the Blue Knight changed her course and dashed off in the direction of the only other door into the gallery. She seemed to have caught him off guard, as instead of immediately chasing after her, the Kingslayer began telling his siblings what to do, starting with his sister. "Go and help the Imp out of here! Release the hostages and try to escape with them, maybe that way you won't be seen!"

"What about the Blue Knight?" came the Evil Queen's voice, high pitched and concerned.

As the Blue Knight ran across the next gallery at full pelt, she heard the Kingslayer laugh.

"Don't worry about her. She's _mine_."

The way he said _mine_ \- deep, resonant, and strangely hungry - made the Blue Knight run even faster.

However, her break for freedom did not last long. By the time she reached the top of the next set of stairs, the Kingslayer was beside her, strolling along in a pool of golden light while she tried to sprint away. He was putting so little effort into the race that he even reached across and took hold of Dragonbinder, his hands next to hers.

"Get off!" she ordered him, even though she had nothing to enforce it with.

The Kingslayer chuckled; a warm, manly sound from the centre of his chest. "No. In fact, I think _you_ should get off, because you are tiring out and I could still outrun you for days."

Even though the Blue Knight knew he was speaking the truth, she found herself biting back at him. "But I could punch you harder."

"But you wouldn't punch me," he said, grinning at her.  
  
She tried to scoff, but it was difficult as she was running as fast as she could with a giant antique horn in her hands. "I _would,_ I've done it before."

"But this time you have a rare and ancient artefact in your hands," the Kingslayer said smugly. "What would Jon Snow say?"

"You watch Jon Snow documentaries?" she panted as they reached the roof.

Enjoying her surprise, the Kingslayer raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, I watch Jon Snow documentaries. That is how I know an object like the Dragonbinder has to be treated with care, not be wrestled over by two superhumans."

"As if you give a damn about that!" the Blue Knight squawked, not believing that a supervillain could have anything approaching _concern_ for a valuable ancient object. He only saw the dragon signs.

However, at her dismissive statement, the Kingslayer looked at her with a hurt expression. "Surely you appreciate that I understand that," he said, a little outraged that she would think so low of him. "We are enemies, yes, but we are also equals and I appreciate that this connection we have means that _you_ know that _I_ know that this is not just some silly antique horn, but that it needs genuine protection in a light and heat controlled case. I am your archnemesis, after all."

He was looking at her so seriously that Brienne could not help but splutter with laughter. The Kingslayer just pouted at her, his hands still on Dragonbinder.

"What?" he stammered, pulling both the priceless horn and therefore the Blue Knight to a halt.

"You're not my archnemesis!" declared the Blue Knight proudly, thinking back on her career. How _could_ he be her archnemesis? Every time they fought it was always over something so ridiculous that she wondered why she was wasting her time; like Mind Control Brain Wave Beamers or mutated sharks. In contrast, some of her other enemies had repeatedly threatened to destroy King's Landing with their earth-shattering powers. His only claim to fame was that he was very good at running away from her.  
  
Although the Blue Knight thought that was nothing but the truth, to her surprise, the Kingslayer's face fell. "I'm not?"

"No!" she scoffed. "I stopped the Kraken flattening the city and the Red Witch sacrificing children to the darkness. Why would _you_ be my archnemesis? You are just an over-confident sprinter! You are _nothing_ in comparison to some of the other shits I have to deal with!"

As the Blue Knight puffed herself up, her hands still on Dragonbinder, the Kingslayer looked at her with downcast eyes. "Really?"

"Really," she replied firmly, sticking her nose in the air. "I am the Blue Knight. I do not have an archnemesis. So you mean nothing to me!"

At that abruptly delivered truth, the Kingslayer stared at her with those sad, searching green eyes of him, as if she had actually said something that had hurt him. She didn't know why; it wasn't like he would struggle getting people's attention in real life given how handsome he was, so why did he need her little ray of sunshine?

It took a few moments for the Kingslayer to compose himself, but when he did it was almost as if he had turned into a boomerang. Gone was the sad kicked-puppy expression and the beautifully watering eyes. Instead, they were replaced by a predatorial grin and a hungry stare.

"Oh, you keep telling yourself that," the Kingslayer purred, almost flirtatiously.

Although the Blue Knight had walls as high as castle built around her heart, Brienne of Tarth did not, so she looked at him with trepidation. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he said slowly, as if he was explaining something to a slightly stupid toddler, "you keep telling yourself that, but I know you are lying."

Feeling her traitorous cheeks beginning to flush at both his closeness and the hushed tone of his voice, the Blue Knight bit back at him. "About what?"

"About not caring about me," he said quietly, drawing closer to her. "Because while I'm sure you _hate_ the Kingslayer - oathbreaker, man without honour - deep, deep down inside you, underneath all that armour, you know that all that anger at me is only because you really, _really_ want to have sex with me."

The truth hurt more than a slap. Trying to cover herself, the Blue Knight made a disgusted sound, hoping her school days in the amateur dramatics’ society would be enough to hide her blush. "What rubbish!"

"It's not rubbish," replied the Kingslayer, taunting and teasing. "And you know... I can prove it to you."

Now things really were getting ridiculous. "How are you ever going to prove to me that...?"

Being the impulsive supervillain he was, the Kingslayer did not even give her a chance to finish her question. One moment he was staring at her with that mocking smile and stupid dimples of his, and the next his lips were on hers; warm, wet and so, so _soft._ Silenced by her surprise, the Blue Knight let the Kingslayer kiss her in a way Brienne had dreamed Jaime would kiss her only a few hours earlier. Gently. Burning. _Romantically._ Although he was a supervillain, the Kingslayer was tender with her, as he pulled her bottom lip into his mouth to suck at it gently.

_Oh gods..._

When he pulled away, the Blue Knight let out a little moan of complaint. She regretted it instantly as he just gave her one of his insufferable grins. "Thanks wench," he beamed in that roguish way that made her go from wanting to kiss him again to needing to punch him. "Never steal anything from someone you can't outrun."

"What?" she managed to stammer. "Is that a Batman quote?"

He never gave her an answer to her question, however, as there was another flash of light as the Kingslayer dashed away, leaving the her all alone on the roof of the Baelor Museum, trying to catch her breath. Frozen in the cool even air, reeling from what had just happened, it took a few moments for the Blue Knight to realise she had let go of Dragonbinder and he had escaped with it.

 _Oh gods,_ she thought again, although now it was in a more despairing tone than turned on.

Any other time, that mild cuss would have been in honour of her failed mission; that the Sibling Squad now had Dragonbinder and she had had to rely on Senelle to free the hostages. This time, however, at the memory of the Kingslayer's kiss, it was for something quite different. She had let the Kingslayer get to her and, by kissing her, he had unspooled some feral, animal feeling of hers that she thought she had succeeded in keeping locked away.

While the Blue Knight was shocked and appalled at her own behaviour, Brienne Tarth's lips tingled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Batman exists in this universe. Don't read too much into it.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it, please consider leaving a comment or kudos. I write for pleasure, I publish for feedback :)


	4. Angel or Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sibling Squad go to see their father...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm sorry, I had to repost this! I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

" _You_ knock," insisted Tyrion sharply, looking at Cersei.

"Me?" she gasped, as if it were the most outrageous thing she had ever heard. "Why me?"

Tyrion rolled his eyes. "Because you are tall, pretty, and he doesn't think you are an evil monster."

"But he thinks I'm as thick as shit," Cersei grumbled, folding her arms across her chest, "because of the whole _having boobs_ thing."

"He wouldn't be wrong," teased Jaime as he pulled his sports bag onto his shoulder, which only earned him a sharp jab in the ribs from his twin sister in response.

At Jaime's poor joke, both Cersei and Tyrion looked up at him, their eyes narrowed as they came to the same conclusion. "We all know that Father is a sexist and an ableist," announced Tyrion as Cersei started to grin in agreement, "so we think that _you_ should knock, golden boy."

"Yeah, golden boy. You're the only one of us he likes."

Jaime disagreed with that point of view immensely. While it was true that Tywin Lannister had little time for Cersei or Tyrion, that did not mean he had a great love for Jaime either. When Jaime was a child, Tywin had hit him when he found his son wearing Cersei's clothes and hit him harder when Jaime had struggled with his reading lessons. Later, Tywin had sent Jaime off to a school for superhumans run by an ancient telepath called Brynden Rivers, in spite of the fact that Jaime had dreaded leaving Cersei and Tyrion. Wanting action and adventure, Jaime had chafed against Brynden's constant orders to talk to trees, fly without legs, and all that bullshit, so he had fallen in with a feral gang of teenagers known as the Kingsguard and that... was where all his problems had started...

In all the years since it had happened, Tywin Lannister had never truly asked Jaime _why_ he killed Aerys Targaryen, as the tyrannical patriarch assumed that he knew the answer. Aerys had been an enemy of the Lannisters, and therefore needed to be taken down. In a strange way, that wrongheaded conclusion was the only thing that made Tywin proud of Jaime, so the latter kept the truth to himself. He had never told anyone why he had slipped that knife between Aerys' shoulder blades.

"Father doesn't like me..." began Jaime, but before he could finish, Cersei cut across him.

"But he doesn't hate you either," she said, a little bitterly. "So _you_ should knock."

Frowning at her, Jaime tried to build a last time of defence. "Why can't Tyrion do it?"

"Because I've got tiny arms and I'm holding a massive horn," he huffed. "So _you_ just do it!"

Given the united front Tyrion and Cersei were putting on, Jaime knew he had no other choice that to do what they asked. So, after taking a few deep breaths for courage, Jaime raised his fist and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" came the terrifying reply from deep within.

At the sound of their father's voice, the three Lannister siblings suddenly turned into the von Trapp children, marching into Tywin's office in a regimented line. The room was dark, and the only sound was that of rain hitting the windows. As they entered, the Lannister patriarch span around in his swivel chair, turning away from the view and towards them. A bolt of lightning flashed in the distance as he did so.

 _That was a bit dramatic of him,_ thought Jaime, as if his father could control the weather.

Even though it was the Kraken who had the power to summon storms and make the winds howl, Tywin Lannister exerted an invisible but palpable pressure that was far scarier. As if to match the expensive wooded panelling of his private office at the top floor of _LannCorp,_ the CEO was wearing an expensive Stormlander suit, tailored and cut just for him. On his lap was his fabulously overweight Persian cat Joanna. Jaime thought there was a joke in the fact his father had named his pussy after his dead wife, but he wasn't going to be the one to say it. As his father ran his hand through Joanna's soft, white fur, he looked at his children in turn, darkness clouding his features.

"Ah," he said sharply, like a sip of crisp chardonnay. "You three eventually got up the courage to come visit me, did you?"

While Cersei and Tyrion shot a confused look at one another, Jaime kept eye contact with their father. "We did what you asked. We got Dragonbinder from the Baelor Museum for you."

"Yes," conceded Tywin, ice cold, "you did, but I also asked you do it without creating a scene. Last night, the three of you had the whole of the King's Landing Police Force out, because you smashed the case and tripped the alarm. And then, to top it all off, your actions caused the Blue Knight to be alerted to my plans, meaning that Cersei and Tyrion had to escape through the Museum's rubbish chute!"

None of it could be denied. Their father _had_ requested they steal Dragonbinder subtly, but that had been more difficult than it had seemed. As usual, Jaime and Cersei had left the planning to Tyrion; the former because he had been too excited about his date with Brienne to think straight, and the latter because she didn't have two brain cells to rub together. Jaime's romantic plans also meant he had been forced to pull out of the Family Museum Heist, but when Brienne had cancelled, he had hurried over to help his siblings without a second thought.

 _But that will never be good enough for father,_ Jaime thought.

While Cersei silently looked at the floor, Tyrion summoned up the courage to speak. "But we _have_ brought you Dragonbinder. Look."

As Tyrion extended his arms forward to show their father Dragonbinder, which was decorated with Valyrian glyphs, Tywin got to his feet, shucking Joanna off his lap in the process. "At least that is one thing," said Father softly. If he was any other man, Jaime would have thought he may have smiled, but instead Tywin's expression remained impassive. He was incapable of smiling or experiencing joy of any kind; perhaps it was a deeply buried grief, or just a fault at birth, but Tywin Lannister often showed as much emotion as a statue.

Cersei stepped back ever so slightly as their father marched forward, taking Dragonbinder from Tyrion. In his strong, sinewy hands, the ancient horn looked almost weightless, especially when his fingers began to dance across the glyphs.

"Read the writing, Jaime," he ordered suddenly, his eyes lifting up from the ornate decoration to look at his eldest son. "What does it say?"

Jaime swallowed. Although he had been forced to learn Valyrian glyphs at Brynden Rivers' expensive finishing school, Jaime had never had much aptitude for it. Dyslexia made reading the Common Tongue difficult, let alone an ancient, dead language. Consequently, Jaime took a few steadying breaths before he tried.

"Lo!" he began, trying to piece the dancing words together. "If thou desires... something, something... summon chickens... thou desires. Have I said that already?"

Seeing that Jaime was flailing under their father's difficult stare, Tyrion interrupted. "Father, it says: _Lo! If thou desire the ultimate power, blow thy horn and summon dragons."_

Not taking his eyes from Jaime's face, Tywin rebuked Tyrion. "Who asked you? I wanted to check if the money I had spent on Jaime's tremendously expensive education was worth it. Apparently not."

As both Jaime and Tyrion wilted at their father's dismissal, Cersei piped up. "Are you going to blow it, father, and summon dragons?"

"Yes," responded Tywin sharply. "I may not be the Dragon, but with this... I would no longer have to play stupid games with Catelyn Stark and could forgo the election entirely. Why would I need to be Senator when I could unleash the dragons on the city and become its Lord and Master?"

While Jaime exchanged shifty glances with Cersei and Tyrion, their father moved Dragonbinder from hand to hand, before lifting the horn to his mouth and launching one loud, sharp blow into the room.

Silence followed.

"Do you hear anything?" asked Tywin eventually, his ears strained. "Do you hear dragons?"

Jaime tried to listen, but it was difficult because rain was loudly beating against the window and there was an occasional distant roll of thunder. Although he did not think he could hear anything that sound remotely like a dragon, Cersei seemed to disagree.

"What about that?" she asked, raising her hand. "Can you hear that sound? Is that a dragon?"

"That's just Joanna coughing up a furball, Cers," said Tyrion with a smile. Usually, he would make fun of her for that ridiculous suggestion, but in the presence of their father, it was vital they maintain a united front.

Once it had become clear that there were no dragons approaching, his father slammed Dragonbinder down on his desk. "It doesn't work!" he growled, the vein in his temple throbbing. "This piece of shit doesn't work!"

As Tywin Lannister began to pace the room, Jaime knew what that meant; his father was angry and when his father was angry... Images flashed before Jaime's eyes.

 _Darkness. A man laughing... laughing... laughing. The knife in Jaime's hand. He had no choice... Stepping forward, he lifted the blade and it shone silver in the moonlight._ "I'm sorry." _He wasn't sorry, because he had no choice. The blood shone red as a river as it pooled down the man's back... over Jaime's hand, his fingers, his shirt..._

_Kingslayer. Kingslayer. Kingslayer._

He was only pulled back into the room when Tyrion let out a panicked gasp. Turning to face them, Jaime saw that Cersei and Tyrion looked just as terrified as he felt. Cersei's green eyes were wide as she started stammering. "Melara... Melara..."

It was Tyrion's mumbled words that stung like a slap, however.

"Tysha."

As the horrible memories subsided, Jaime saw a sense of cool calmness overcome his father. It was always this way; Tywin Lannister could only unleash his darkness when the cage around his own heart was unlocked. Behind his unsmiling mask, however, he was in control. "The three of you may leave," he said quietly, turning around back towards his desk. "I will contact you when I have come up with another plan and this time, I trust that you will do it without making a scene."

Given how shocked Cersei and Tyrion looked, Jaime found himself nodding before trying to shepherd his siblings from the room.

"Wait one moment."

Jaime looked back round at his father, straight into his cool eyes.

"Take this piece of junk with you," he said, signalling to Dragonbinder. "I want it out of my sight."

Nodding quickly, Jaime picked it up from the desk and stuffed it in his sports bag. Once it was safely put away, he fled the room with Cersei and Tyrion before his father could ask anything more of him.

* * *

By the time they descended down the _LannCorp_ tower, the rain had subsided, allowing the three Lannister siblings to take a stroll. They needed it after what had just happened in their father's office, so they walked over to a nearby park, swallowing great gulps of air until they felt normal again.

"What are you two doing tonight?" asked Tyrion eventually, looking up at Jaime and Cersei in turn, attempting to regain a sense of normalcy.

Cersei shrugged, trying to be casual. "Taena and I are going to see the new Arys Oakheart film. What about you, Jaime?"

In spite of the fact that Jaime just about had a hold of himself because he was gently packing himself away, going away inside, he found himself answering. "I think I am just going to go home. I need some sleep... it's been a long few days."

Knowing what he meant without asking, Cersei and Tyrion nodded, and the three siblings separated once they reached the bus stop as they all intended going in different directions. Once they had said their goodbyes, however, Jaime found it very difficult to keep the bad memories at bay.

_Burn them. Burn them all..._

Blinking, he tried to focus on something positive.

 _The Blue Knight,_ he mused, sketching her out in his mind. _She has pale blonde hair that always seems to catch the light, and a blue super suit that she covers with armour. And freckles. Lots of freckles._

By the time the bus pulled up, Jaime had pushed his past to the back of his mind, instead focussing on his life now and all the possibilities it contained. He could fight the Blue Knight. He could go swimming in the sea. And he could message attractive women on the internet to his heart's content.

Once he was sat down, he got out his phone.

 _Jaime:_ Hey Brienne, I hope everything is alright with you. Did you get your family emergency sorted out? I was just wondering whether you wanted to try pencilling in that date again.

She took a few minutes to respond.

 _Brienne:_ You still want to go on a date with me?

 _Jaime:_ Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I?

 _Brienne:_ I don't know, maybe because I bailed so last minute last time.

 _Jaime:_ You had a family emergency, didn't you? Believe me, I have a crazy tyrant of a father. I know what they can be like. 😂😂😂

 _Brienne:_ Poor you!

 _Jaime:_ Don't feel *too* sorry for me. Although my father is a madman, I am still able to talk to attractive women on the internet, so my life is not all bad 😘

 _Brienne:_ You have a way with words!

 _Jaime:_ Yeah, I do! And I'm gonna use my words to ask you when are you free to come for a drink with me? 🤔

Again, there was another pause.

 _Brienne:_ What about next Friday?

 _Jaime:_ Sounds great! Do you want to meet at the _Iron Gate?_ We could be in time for happy hour?

 _Brienne:_ Orrr... I have a radical idea.

 _Jaime:_ Oh god. You are not that girl Lysa I agreed to go on a date with and she tricked me into going to a weird sex club, are you?

 _Brienne:_ 😂😂😂What?

 _Jaime:_ Never mind. Long story, but you should know I got out of there with most of my clothes and none of my dignity intact. 👀

 _Brienne:_ 😂 I can never tell whether these silly stories of yours are true or not.

 _Jaime:_ That's for me to know, and you to find out, sweetling. Maybe I'll tell you of my daring escape from a sex club when we're on that date and you can tell me whether you think I'm 😇 or 😈.

 _Brienne:_ From everything so far, I think you must be 😇.

 _Jaime:_ You are so sweet 🥰

 _Brienne:_ Only to people I like. To everyone else, I am 😈.

 _Jaime:_ 😂😂😂Well, perhaps I would like to find out for myself. What was your radical plan for how 😇 and 😈should meet?

 _Brienne:_ It's not sex club radical, but I was thinking as _you_ like Jon Snow documentaries and _I_ like Jon Snow documentaries, perhaps we should go to the exhibition on Valyrian steel swords at the Baelor Museum? They owe me a favour, so I've got 2 free tickets if you are interested?

Although Jaime was not sure it was necessarily wise to show his face at the Baelor Museum so soon after the Dragonbinder incident, the prospect of meeting Brienne made him swallow his concerns.

 _Jaime:_ Sure! Sounds great! I 💗 a good Valyrian steel sword.

 _Brienne:_ Good to know! So are you alright for 7 next Friday? They do evening openings on Friday, but they tend to be fairly quiet so we will probably have the museum to ourselves.

 _Jaime:_ 😇 and 😈 alone at a Museum. I can't wait.

Just at that moment, the bus ground to a halt at the stop next to the Baelor Museum. Looking through the window, Jaime could see that the once majestic looking building was now plastered in signs detailing a ten thousand dragon reward for the recovery of Dragonbinder.

"Oooh," came an old woman's voice from the other side of the bus. "If I knew anything about the location of that bloody horn, I would tell them right away!"

Her friend nodded in agreement. "Yes, think what you could do with ten thousand dragons."

As the two women starting musing on round the world tours and luxury cars, Jaime's mind moved in the direction of the Blue Knight. The day before, when they had been wrestling over Dragonbinder, she had accused him of not caring about the horn as an important cultural artefact as she did not seem to see him as a rival to be respected.

 _I am her archnemesis_ , he thought angrily as the bus came to a halt. _Whatever she says._

She had had accused him of not caring about Dragonbinder, even though she _knew_ he watched Jon Snow documentaries, which hurt. And then, to top it all off, she said she didn't care about _him._

Unzipping his sports bag, Jaime looked down at the stolen horn, which his father had treated as a tool and then as nothing but trash when it didn't work. The rich and powerful Tywin Lannister could not see that, even though this horn could not really summon dragons, it was important because people had imbued meaning in it over days, weeks, months, and years. It was an important historical item and deserved to be respected.

 _What would the Blue Knight do?_ Jaime wondered, his eyes trailing over the ornate Valyrian glyphs. The answer came to him fairly quickly. _She would return it, because it doesn't belong to her, but to everyone in King's Landing. It is a cultural artefact of significant importance._

 _Am I_ 😇 _or_ 😈 _?_

Looking up, Jaime realised that the bus conductor was ready to drive off once more so, leaping to his feet, Jaime made his exit. Once he was out in the open air, Jaime jogged around the side of the Museum to a small alleyway he had seen the previous night. Checking the coast was clear, he walked up to an empty bin and wasted no time in depositing his sports bag inside, which still contained Dragonbinder. Once it was securely hidden and he had checked there was nothing that could be traced back to him in the sports bag, Jaime left as fast as he could. Sure that no one was following him, when he got several streets away, Jaime stopped at a nearby payphone. Looking up the number he needed on his own phone, he then made the call.

"Hello, this is Senelle for the Baelor Museum. How can I help?"

Putting on his best _Batman-has-a-sore-throat_ voice, Jaime said what he needed to say. "You can find Dragonbinder in the bin in the alleyway next to the side of the Museum, just by the kitchen exit."

"Excuse me, sir?" came Senelle's very unsure voice, but Jaime pushed ahead.

"You can find Dragonbinder in the bin in the alleyway next to the side of the Museum, just by the kitchen exit," he repeated, growing exasperated. "If you send someone out to look now, they'll find it."

Clearly gobsmacked, Senelle dug around for the correct words. "How do you know this, sir?"

"It doesn't matter," replied Jaime, coughing in his attempt to keep up his Batman voice. "Just know that it is there, and it can be returned to the museum."

"Can you give me your name? So we can alert you if you are eligible for our reward?"

Remembering the conversation the two old women were having on the bus, Jaime shook his head. "I don't want a reward. I just want Dragonbinder to be returned to its rightful place."

"But why?"

"Because I care."

He hung up without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As ever, I would love to hear what you think in the form of comments or kudos :)


	5. Heroes and Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime and Brienne go on their first date...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this took so long! I have too many WIPs at the moment and this chapter STRESSED. ME. OUT. That being said, I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

_I should have come dressed for the ski season,_ thought Brienne darkly as she stood on the front steps of the Baelor Museum, wearing the outfit that Sansa had helped her pick out a week before. Although what they had chosen made Brienne look confident, self-assured and, according to Sansa, a little sexy, it also was not meant for the cold weather.

 _Brienne:_ Maybe I should go home. He's three minutes late and it's bloody freezing!

 _Sansa:_ Don't you dare!

 _Brienne:_ I'm starting to think this is a bad idea.

 _Sansa:_ Why?

For all she loved and trusted Sansa, Brienne did not want to tell her _why_ she had been seriously considering cancelling the date with Jaime, because that would have involved spilling her Blue Knight secret and explaining to her best friend that she had let her arch-nemesis kiss her. Brienne was quite angry with herself for her momentary weakness; she had let the _Kingslayer_ of all people plant one on her and it hadn't been in anyway terrible... in fact, it had been quite pleasant and even a little bit mind-blowing.

She hadn't been able to stop thinking about his lips on hers since.

 _Brienne:_ I haven't been on a date in ages and I think I'll mess it up, that's all. I am not cut out for this.

 _Going out on a date_ was number one on the list of things that Brienne was definitely not made for in life. She was good at high kicks, punching villains in the face, and soliloquising at length on the importance of duty and honour. What she was not good at, however, was small talk and being confident about dating.

Dating terrified her.

Dating made her wish she had the Kingslayer's superpower so she could run away very fast.

Dating made her feel a little ill, especially when she was going on a date with a man who was sure to take one look at her and instantly flee, screaming in horror.

 _That is just what will happen when he is confronted by my face,_ she thought sadly. _The Kingslayer could kiss me because I had a mask on. It won't be the same for Jaime..._

 _Sansa:_ Just breathe. You've got this.

 _Brienne:_ I haven't got this! There is no part of this I have *got* in any shape or form. I feel like I am going to vomit!

 _Sansa:_ Don't do that. 🤮on his shoes on the first date would be a bad plan.

 _Brienne:_ I'm not planning on vomiting. It's just I feel like I'm going to. Maybe it would be better if I go home. Can you ring me in ten? And give me an excuse to leave.

 _Sansa:_ No, babe. You are strong and confident, and you can do this! And if it doesn't work out, wgaf.

 _Brienne:_ I gaf Sansa. It's just embarrassing!

 _Sansa:_ You are a strong independent woman who don't need no man... but you kinda want one. So you have to put yourself through this torture!!! Go get him babe. He will 💗💗💗you.

Thinking the three heart emojis were a bit too much, Brienne sighed and closed her conversation with Sansa. She knew her friend was trying to be supportive, but there was being supportive and there was outright lying. On her way to the museum, Brienne had looked over Jaime's dating profile, and her heart had slowly plummeted through the floor. He was so unbelievably beautiful - all golden hair, dimples, and a breath-stealing smile - that Brienne had come to the conclusion that he _must_ have swiped right on her by accident. Yes, maybe she had reeled him in with her witty repartee, but it was one thing to look at her photos in which she hid behind good angles and perfect lighting, and another to face her ugliness in the flesh.

 _Oh gods,_ she thought, putting her phone in her pocket. _What have I done? I have got to get out of here!_

As her breathing got shallow and panicked, Brienne began to dash down the steps of the museum. Maybe she could claim another family emergency? That she had bubonic plague? That she was the Blue Knight and needed to rescue some poor helpless civilians from the Kraken? The last one was at least true, but she doubted Jaime would believe it. It was unlikely he would think that someone as inadequate and ugly...

Lost in thoughts of her own beastliness, Brienne was not conscious of anyone around her and therefore didn't see the man who was right in front of her until she slammed straight into his solid, muscular form and nearly fell over from the force of the impact.

"I'm so sorry, I..."

_Oh my gods._

When Brienne looked up, she discovered she was gazing into the greenest eyes she had ever seen. Grass green. Pea green. _Greener-than-the-bloody-Kingslayer's-eyes_ green. Those emerald green eyes - effortlessly striking - were set into a face that seemed to have been sculpted by the gods; with a long, straight nose, pouty rosebud lips, and a cut-glass jaw. While his face made him delicately beautiful, his body was tall, lithe, and strong and the whole perfect image was crowned by a halo of golden hair. He looked as if he should be an exhibition in the Baelor Museum, labelled as "a perfect specimen of the male of the species". Brienne gulped just to remind herself she hadn't died.

It was Jaime.

"Brienne?" he said with a mellifluous, manly voice that made her want to put on her Blue Knight mask and hide away for ever. "You are Brienne, right?"

"Yep," she squeaked, barely able to believe she had been lightly flirty with _this_ man on a dating app. "That's me."

At the confirmation, Jaime grinned in a way that seem to light up the whole evening. "Hey, it's lovely to meet you _at last..._ but... have we met before? You look familiar."

Brienne thought she would remember if she had bumped into the Ancient Valyrian God of Sexiness before, so she shook her head. "I don't think so, not unless you spend your weekends touring the ancient ruins of Rosby like I do."

"Nah," he laughed, "I go to my ruined castles on weekdays. Anyway, it _is_ great to meet you as I was scared we were never going to make this date a reality."

"Mmmhmm," Brienne attempted to reply as Jaime pulled her in for a hug, her mouth smushing against his shoulder. Although it was an unfortunate angle that Brienne was convinced made her develop a pig nose, his closeness also meant that she could take in the rich, manly scent of him. It made her so weak, that Brienne had to remind herself she had super strength.

Although the hug lasted a _little_ too long, when Jaime eventually moved away from her, he gave her a casual, lazy smile that sent a thrill up Brienne's spine. She wanted to kick herself for being so pathetic, but what he said next only made it worse.

"You weren't lying when you said you were tall," purred Jaime, rolling his eyes over her, taking in every inch.

"No... I wasn't," replied Brienne, her cheeks crimsoning and her hands shaking as she looked at him. He was so enchantingly beautiful that she almost struggled to speak, even to tell him what a terrible idea this all was. "I shouldn't have worn the heels."

 _This was a mistake, a horrible mistake,_ thought Brienne desperately as she realised that she towered over him, a great ugly monster. _There's a reason I normally wear a mask._

Jaime did not look disgusted, however, merely confused, as he gave her yet another one of those radiant smiles of his. "I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm feeling a little like that emoji."

"Which emoji?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

He let out an amused chuckle and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Maybe I should have you guess. Which emoji do you think I am?"

"The shocked cat?" she asked, imagining his internal horror at being on a date with a freckled giantess.

"No."

"The shrug?"

"The shrug," he said, huffing with faux-indignation. "Why the shrug?"

For effect, Brienne herself shrugged. "I don't know."

"Ha, ha, very good," Jaime replied, tilting his head to one side as he observed her with those _rolling-around-in-the-grass-together_ green eyes, "but no. You haven't guessed correctly."

Biting her lip nervously, fearing he was going to laugh at her, Brienne asked, "which one are you then?"

After giving her a lascivious grin, Jaime leaned in close so he could whisper in her ear."The aubergine. I told you how I feel about a tall woman in heels," he said seductively, before linking his arm with hers. Instantly, she could tell he was tactile and needed her touch to feel close; it felt terrifying, but vaguely thrilling. "Lead on, Brienne. I'm here to see an exhibition on Valyrian steel swords with a woman who loves Jon Snow documentaries as much as I do. So... if you wouldn't mind."

Swallowing nervously, Brienne stuck on her best false smile. She found it difficult talking to someone she was attracted to at the best of times; it left her tongue-tied and a little lightheaded.

Or, at least she did when she wasn't wearing a mask.

* * *

Given that Jaime was overwhelming in all ways it was possible to be overwhelming, it took Brienne a few minutes to get used to the warm heat of him next to her as they queued to get into the Valyrian swords exhibition. Luckily, Jaime didn't seem to be having a mini panic attack in the way Brienne was, as he was talking, and talking, and talking, as if he genuinely wanted to get to know every small thing about her in five minutes.

"I'm amazed you managed to get tickets for this exhibition," he gushed. "I looked a couple of months ago and they were sold out _completely._ "

"It's nothing," said Brienne, determined to downplay the whole Dragonbinder incident. "I just did someone who works at the museum a favour, and they owed me."

"Well, lucky you! It seems everyone and their Mum wants to see Oathkeeper and Widow's Wail. I couldn't even bribe them to let me in!"

Brienne snorted.

"What's that for?" he asked, amused.

"I am glad you weren't able to bribe the Baelor Museum," Brienne grinned, enjoying the weird spark flickering between them. "This is one of the foremost cultural institutions in the city. It is good to know that the staff here cannot be corrupted by the very attractive sight of you slipping them fifty dragons under the desk."

As he fixed her with his green-eyed gaze, Jaime cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh, you think that makes an _attractive sight,_ do you?"

Realising what she had said, Brienne blushed profusely, wondering if she had fallen into a false trap. "I... I... I..."

"Don't worry about it," Jaime said, drawing close so he could whisper in her ear like he had outside. "I'll slip you fifty dragons under the desk any time you want."

Knowing that Jaime had just turned her awful brain fart into a euphemism, Brienne felt quite faint, so decided to change the topic entirely. "I'm looking forward to seeing Widow's Wail more than Oathkeeper."

"Are you?" he said surprised, "but Oathkeeper belonged to the _original_ Blue Knight. How can you not be excited by that?"

Trying not to sound too flippant about her own distant ancestor, Brienne shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, I love the Blue Knight, don't get me wrong, but Goldenhand the Just _does it for me._ What with all those unsubstantiated historical rumours of him doing some really dodgy stuff in his early life - like sleeping with his sister, pushing a small boy out of the window, and strangling his captor when he was a prisoner of war - he must have been a really complex character."

"I suppose," agreed Jaime, nodding slowly, "but please tell me you don't believe the stupidest rumour of all?"

"Which one is that?"

"The one where, after the Long Night, Goldenhand left the Blue Knight crying in the Winterfell courtyard after listing a bunch of bullshit reasons why he was a crappy person before going back to his nutjob of a sister."

Considering she had conducted long and extensive arguments with her history teacher at the Citadel - Maester Benioff - about how that was an utter crap theory and he should consider reading another historical source other than the footnotes version of Maester Weiss' abominable _Puzzle of Chairs,_ she was pleased that Jaime had a similar outlook _._ Brienne had almost got kicked off Maester Benioff's history course for arguing that Maester Weiss' document was, at best, a forgery and at worse rushed because he wished to get started on his next volume of _Wars of the Stars,_ so she was glad that all that angst had finally come to good; an attractive man, Jaime, was smiling at her in agreement.

"Yes!" he beamed, shaking her arm with excitement. " _Puzzle of Chairs_ is a terrible historical source! Not only does it draw extensively from Grand Maester Martin's infinitely superior _A Tune of Earth and Wind_ in the early sections, towards the end the timelines don't even make sense!"

Nodding enthusiastically, Brienne could not help putting her nerdy history enthusiast voice on and start speaking at four hundred and fifty miles an hour. "GODS YES!!! If only the last two volumes of Grand Maester Martin's work had not been lost to history, we would be able to put this stupid theory to bed once and for all."

"I hope they don't bring that rubbish up on the signs in the exhibition," said Jaime loudly, so much so that one of the museum workers who was managing the queue looked a little shifty, "or there _will_ be complaints."

Given that his passion about historical accuracy was just as extensive as hers, Brienne was able to forget that Jaime was attractive and just laugh with him, in the same way she was able to kick the Kingslayer in the face without qualms, ignoring his perfect dimples.

It was a shame she could not ignore his kiss, though.

By the time they managed to get into the exhibition space, Jaime and Brienne had been queuing for over half an hour minutes and had somehow managed to discuss nearly all aspects of historiography relating to the Long Night.

"How long do you think the Long Night was?" asked Jaime.

Brienne thought about it for a moment. "Longer than the ten minutes Maester Weiss subscribes to it, shorter than the several millennia Grand Maester Martin implies. Do you think the Mad Queen was actually mad?"

"Yes."

He had said it so directly that Brienne let out another splutter of laughter. "No greater consideration than just _yes?_ The Mad Queen's motives have been debated for centuries, and you are just going with a yes?"

"Of course I am," said Jaime. "You know the rumours about the Targaryens, right?"

Brienne did. "Every time a new Targaryen is born the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land. Madness or genius."

"Correct," replied Jaime, clearly impressed. "And that is exactly why I think the Mad Queen was mad."

"Because of an old adage?"

Jaime shook her head, amusement playing on his lips, "other than the fact she was called the _Mad_ Queen, which is a bit of a clue as to her mental state, I also think the fact she was a Targaryen suggests she was not in possession of all her marbles."

Even though Jaime was smiling, Brienne could see the shadow of something darker behind his eyes. Intrigued, Brienne felt sufficiently motivated to ask probing questions. "The Targaryens aren't _all_ mad. The current Dragon is one of the most powerful and respected superheroes in the kingdom."

"But have you seen her whenever they interview her?" spluttered Jaime, looking at Brienne incredulously. " _I will take what is mine with fire and blood_. Who says that unless they are a) a raging psychopath or b) a raging narcissist? So, I don't care if the Dragon can shoot fireballs from her hands or turn into a real dragon or whatever it is that she does. If she says shit like that on national television, I'm going to be _scared_ , okay?"

Brienne could not help but giggle. Although she had met the Dragon at many Honour League planning meetings and poker nights, Jaime was right. The Dragon was a _little_ intense _,_ but Brienne thought her heart was in the right place _._ She was a superhero, not a supervillain, after all _._ Consequently, Brienne felt as if she had to defend her erstwhile colleague.

"But she always does the honourable thing. And that's what counts, isn't it?"

To her surprise, Jaime's eyes dimmed slightly. "You think?"

"I _know,_ " replied Brienne, having to hold her tongue to prevent herself from telling him about all the times she saved a bus full of children, or a train full of civilians from the evil plans of a supervillain and felt good and honourable for it. "Winter will never come for the honourable. Should they die in battle, the people will surely sing of them, and it is always summer in the songs. In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining."

For the first time since they entered the room, Jaime broke eye contact with Brienne, and began to look at the items of display, starting with a few pots depicting Valyrian swords. "And what about the dishonourable?"

"The dishonourable?" asked Brienne, surprised by this turn in the conversation. "What about them?"

"Where do they fit into the songs?"

For a moment, Brienne did not quite know what to say. There was something soft, almost tentative in his eyes that Brienne had not expected to see in a man like Jaime, who she had pinned down as teasing, flirtatious, and confident. She swallowed, trying to think of the best way to put it.

"They're the villains, Jaime."

He let out a huff of air that could have been a laugh or a sigh, then took a few seconds to meet her gaze once more. "What, like a supervillain?"

"Well, if you think that the Mad Queen's nickname was a clue to her inner mental state, I am going to argue that someone popularly described as a supervillain is going to be a villain, yes," she said lightly, trying to get him to smile again.

She liked his dimples, just as she liked the Kingslayer's dimples.

In spite of her attempts at joking, Jaime's mouth remained in a tense line. "Why is there such a straight line dividing superhero from supervillain? They both have superpowers. They are both people. You can't tell me that you can split people easily into such categories."

"Yes you can," replied Brienne firmly. Her whole life was spent dividing people in that way; innocent versus enemy, civilian versus combatant, hero versus villain. If she started to think of the Hound, the Kraken, and the Kingslayer with anything other than the contempt they deserved, the Blue Knight's whole world would crumble. "Are you going to try to tell me that there is a well-known supervillain that has done something good in their sorry, miserable life?"

Jaime gave her a weak smile. "Maybe I will."

"Like who?" she asked challengingly.

The name that came out of her mouth set her heart beating faster in a second.

"The Kingslayer."

Brienne dropped her gaze; she didn't want to think about _him_ on her date with Jaime. "Oh, what has he done that was ever any good?"

"He killed Senator Targaryen."

When Brienne raised her eyes to look at Jaime, she was expecting this to be another joke, but instead she discovered that he was deadly serious. The green in his eyes had suddenly taken on the sheen of steel.

"You can't say that was a good thing," replied Brienne firmly. "Extra-judicial murder is a crime, no matter how you frame it."

"He would have understood."

Confused, Brienne went to question Jaime, but her words ran dry as she suddenly discovered she was standing in front of Widow's Wail; Goldenhand the Just's sword. It was a beautiful looking Valyrian steel longsword. Although the metal itself was fabulous - all rippling red and black - the scabbard was garishly decorated with a golden lion's heads with ruby eyes. As she gazed at the longsword, Brienne tried to imagine what Goldenhand would have looked like during the Long Night, his blond hair stark against the blue-back darkness. Strangely, he had the outline of the Kingslayer.

"Would he?" she asked, gazing at the sword with all the wonder as if she was staring at an incredibly attractive man.

Jaime nodded resolutely. "Earlier you said Goldenhand was a really complex character and not a villain, and he killed the Mad King just as the Kingslayer killed Senator Targaryen. What's the difference?

Brienne paused. One of the reasons why Goldenhand was one of her favourite historical figures was because he was so internally intricate. If you read one ancient source and thought you understood him, there was another that made you believe quite the opposite. Indeed, that was what Brienne loved about history; it was like looking through the past through a distorted glass. It was all a matter of perspective.

"Well, Goldenhand wasn't a villain, he was just complicated. On the other hand, the Kingslayer killed his mentor, he..."

"EXCUSE ME!"

Just then, there was a loud interruption as a group of museum employees entered the exhibition space carrying a huge glass case. Distracted by Jaime's questions, it took Brienne a few moments to work out what it contained, but when she did...

"That's Dragonbinder!"

Jaime bit his lip. "What's Dragonbinder?"

"That is! You know, it was the priceless artefact that was stolen from this very museum last week by the Sibling Squad! How on earth did it get back here?"

At her question, Jaime pulled close to her and whispered in her ear in the way that already felt intimate. "Haven't you heard? It is all over the news."

"What is?" she asked stupidly.

"Dragonbinder," he replied, a slight blush in his cheeks. "After a tip-off, the museum staff found it in a bin in an alleyway nearby. They think one of the Sibling Squad might have had a change of heart."

Brienne opened her mouth incredulously. "They think one of the Sibling Squad returned it?"

"Yes," replied Jaime, laughing at her surprise. "This is where I think you are blinded, Brienne. Maybe there are no superheroes and supervillains, just people trying to make their way through life as best they can."

At Jaime's interesting conclusion, Brienne thought of the Kingslayer. She wondered if there was anything more complicated to him other than his bloody backstory, his continual bad deeds, and his pretty eyes.

Somehow, she doubted it.

* * *

In spite of the bump in the road caused by the "who is a villain?" conversation, it seemed that Jaime was the type of person who liked to have deep intellectual conversations about history and morality. Consequently, they spent some more time discussing Goldenhand and the original Blue Knight, before leaving the exhibition and doing a quick lap of the museum. After they had worked their way through the Valyrian Freehold and Old Ghis, a loud announcement sounded telling them that they had five minutes before the museum closed.

"I think we should go for dinner," suggested Jaime, interlocking their arms once more. "There's a really nice steakhouse a few streets away, if you are interested?"

With her mouth opening and closing like a guppy fish, it was all Brienne could do to say "yes".

It took another half an hour for Jaime and Brienne to be in that steakhouse with their food in front of them - Brienne had a Chop Salad, Jaime a steak and fries - talking and talking and talking so much that she worried that one of them would soon run out of air.

"I am surprised you didn't know Dragonbinder had been returned," said Jaime casually, cutting up his steak. "It was all over the news. People are really starting to think the Kingslayer has a conscience."

Not believing that someone in possession of that devil's kiss could have a conscience, Brienne tried to avoid the subject lest she rouse another debate about Goldenhand the Just. "I don't really follow the news," she lied, taking a bite of her salad.

Jaime raised his eyebrows at her, intrigued. "No? You strike me as the kind of girl with her finger on the pulse."

He said it in a way that made Brienne blush; respectfully, slightly flirtatiously. If she pressed her mouth to Jaime's throat for a kiss, Brienne wondered if she would feel his heartbeat against her lips. Trying to shrug off the heat in her cheeks, she attempted to push him towards a more mundane topic. "Well, I normally do, but not at the moment. It is all _the election, the election, the election_ and there are only so many times one can watch Tywin Lannister's smug, unsmiling face before you go quite mad!"

At that statement, Jaime choked on his gin and tonic.

"Are you alright?" asked Brienne, dropping her fork on her plate to whack him on the back. On the first hit, he nearly flew off his chair, and Brienne had to remember to tone it down just in case she reveal she had super strength.

"Yeah... _cough..._ I'm... _cough_... fine..."

"Oh good," she smiled as he eventually managed to stop hacking up his lungs. "I thought I was the only person in the world who had such a visceral reaction to Tywin Lannister."

Even as Brienne grinned at him, Jaime looked at her strangely and shook his head. "Oh no, I know of a least two others than you and me. My brother and sister would happily join the _choking-on-over-priced-drinks-at-the-mention-of-Tywin-Lannister_ Club _."_

Brienne chuckled. "Are you all Catelyn Stark voters too?"

"Not necessarily," said Jaime breezily when he finally controlled his breathing once more. "We're just Tywin's children. I'm Jaime Lannister. I don't think I introduced myself properly."

Although Jaime had delivered that news in a light, almost nonchalant, way, Brienne felt as if she had run into a wall. The burn came so fast that her smile slipped away as quick as a pancake thrown against that very same wall she had just face planted into. "Oh gods, I am _so_ sorry. That was so rude of me! Tywin's your father and I just... oh _gods,_ I am an idiot."

Smiling with amusement, Jaime just waved a dismissive hand at her. "Don't worry about it. He's a monster. I'm not voting for him either... Senator Stark has a good social care plan, and she wants to legalise gay marriage after all."

"They are the _exact_ reasons I want to vote for her!" cried Brienne happily, glad to find a way out of this tremendously awkward predicament, "so it's not because Tywin is a..."

"Owner of a smug, unsmiling face?" suggested Jaime, going back to her earlier suggestion.

As Jaime resurrected her criticism of his father, Brienne at least had the good grace to go bright red. "Gods, I cannot apologise enough."

"It's nothing," said Jaime, this time being even more determined to avoid her apologies. "Ever since my mother died when I was eight, my father hasn't been the same."

For the first time in her life, Brienne felt sorry for a super-rich politician and his incredibly attractive son. "Oh... that must have been terrible. I lost my mother when I was young too. Did the grief effect your father greatly?"

With his sadness hiding behind a veil, Jaime nodded solemnly. "Yes. Overnight, he went from being a smug bastard to a who didn't give a shit about his children to a smug _unsmiling_ bastard who didn't give a shit about his children."

It took Brienne a few seconds to work out Jaime was joking, but when she did, she found herself laughing along with him, even though what he had just said was incredibly awful. Jaime wore everything so incredibly lightly - his tragedies became his witticisms - that she could not tell how deeply he felt things.

She was determined to find out.

"My father was quite the opposite," said Brienne gently, releasing the spool around heart that she had kept wound so tightly for so long. "He cared about me a great deal but, especially since my mother died, he was always so busy with work."

"What did he do for a living?" asked Jaime, before taking a bite of his steak.

 _He held the ancient title of the Blue Knight, Defender of the Realm,_ Brienne wanted to say. _He told me that I would follow him as the Blue Knight, and that duty and honour were the only things that mattered._

"He was a cop," she lied. "He was always out on the beat, doing dangerous stuff. I never knew if tonight would be the night that some villain did him in, and my governess was always a right cow about it."

Jaime raised his eyebrow, intrigued. "You had a governess? I was rich, but I never had a governess."

"No?" asked Brienne, amused at this interjection.

"No, we had three butlers," he said with a smile, "but go on. Tell me about your poor person life."

Rolling her eyes good-humouredly, Brienne continued with her story. "My governess was... not a nice person. She would always tell me what a disappointment I was to my father, while he was out risking his neck."

"What would she say?" asked Jaime, all hint of laughter now absent from his voice.

Brienne took a deep breath. Gazing into his green eyes, she wondered why she had even embarked on this story. She had never even told _Sansa_ what Roelle had done, but here she was on the precipice of telling Jaime Lannister all about her childhood trauma.

_Why do I feel like I know him?_

"One of her favourite things to do was sit me in front of the mirror and help me with my make-up. She would brush my hair, help me put on lipstick, eyeshadow, and mascara. She would even paint my nails."

"That doesn't sound so bad," said Jaime, furrowing his brow at her.

Brienne let out a bitter laugh. "It wasn't until we finished. Once everything was done, she would make me look into the mirror and then would whisper in my ear _no one will love a face like yours, so you must always wear a mask._ "

Although they were in a fairly noisy and boisterous restaurant, it suddenly seemed to Brienne as if all the sound in the world had disappeared, as Jaime was looking at her in abject horror. For a moment, Brienne thought it was because he had looked beyond the mask of make-up that she had applied that evening, but then locked her hand with his from across the table.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. That is disgusting."

Swallowing deeply, Brienne dropped her eyes to her salad. "It's nothing. I'm over it anyway. It was a long time ago."

"It's _not_ nothing."

Surprised at the passion behind Jaime's statement, when she looked back up, Brienne found Jaime staring at her with those beautiful, strange eyes of his. For a moment, it felt as if he were peering right into her soul.

Looking deeper, he uttered her name. "Brienne?"

"Yes?" she replied, trying to keep a quiver out of her voice.

"Are you _sure_ we haven't met before?"

It was the second time he had asked her that question on the date, but her answer was different than before. "I don't know... maybe we have."

"In another life?" he asked, smiling.

"Maybe," Brienne said again, unable to stop grinning at him. "Maybe we were the Blue Knight and Goldenhand the Just. We know enough about them after all."

Jaime nodded. "Yes, although you can be Goldenhand, because I am not a villain."

* * *

As they spent most of the evening drinking and talking, it was very late by the time Jaime and Brienne headed out of the restaurant towards the bus stop. Given the damp air, it was cold and dark, so Brienne huddled close to Jaime to keep warm.

"Which way are you headed?" he asked as they hid under the bus shelter, like two ragged crows.

Brienne squinted at the timetable. "I'm heading towards Rosby, so I suppose I am meant to be on the other side of the road."

"Oh no," said Jaime, as if he were genuinely disappointed. "I am going to the Waterfront, so we are off in different directions."

Feeling intensely vulnerable under Jaime's heated gaze, Brienne folded her arms across her chest. She truly was so happy to have had the chance to meet him, even though this was the end. "Well, it was lovely to meet you Jaime, I had a really great time."

"Yeah, so did I," he smiled, all dimples. "When are you free in the next couple of days?"

At his question, Brienne blinked confusedly. "What for?"

"Date two of course," he said, getting his phone out to search for his calendar, even as Brienne died, went to all Seven Heavens, was resurrected, and came back to earth. "I'm free next Wednesday, or maybe Friday if I move a few things around. What's good for you?"

It was his expectant expression that eventually kicked her into action and made her reach for her phone. "Erm... uh... well... let me have a look," she babbled.

"There's no rush, you can text me if you want," he said warmly.

She looked back up at him. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," he beamed. "We've had such a lovely date, that I would like more than five minutes over a coffee with you next time."

That was such a sweet thing to say that she could not help but match his smile, glowing and effervescent. "I did have a lovely time too, and I..."

Before she had a chance to finish the sentence, Jaime's bus pulled up, nearly splashing dirty water all over them as it pulled into the stop. Leaping back, Brienne pulled Jaime close, wanting to save him from having his clothes ruined too. Their new position position meant that his hands were on her hips while she grasped at his shirt, so close it was almost an embrace.

Embarrassed, Brienne tried to apologise. "Jaime, I..."

Not needing words, Jaime closed the gap between them and pressed his lips to hers for a split second. It was a first date kiss so there were no tongues and nothing that would be out of place in a PG movie, but Brienne was so surprised she still almost melted against him.

When he pulled away, Jaime's eyes were bright. "I'm sorry Brienne, but I've got to go. Message me, okay?"

"Mmm hmm," she managed, not yet having full control of her lips again.

Sensing her momentary weakness, Jaime laughed. "I'll see you around."

"Bye."

Without another word, Jaime got onto the bus and bought his ticket, leaving Brienne with nothing to do but press two fingers to her lips, just to check it had been real.

 _Jaime kissed me!_ Brienne squealed internally.

It was nothing like the Kingslayer's kiss - that had been warm, firm, and weirdly passionate - but Brienne enjoyed it, nevertheless. Jaime's kiss was soft, gentle, and spoke of things to come.

As she watched the bus disappear into the distance, Brienne took a few calming breaths.

 _Jaime kissed me,_ she thought, amazed. _Jaime kissed me and I didn't even need to wear my mask._

Suddenly, the whole evening seemed much brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! There were a few book quotes in there, so well done if you spotted them! As ever, I would love to hear what you thought of this silliness, so please consider leaving a comment or kudos!


	6. Dating for Beginners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime and Brienne go on some more dates...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I suddenly got a spurt of inspiration on this fic, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is yet more fluff, but we will hopefully get back to more superhero silliness soon!
> 
> Also, I have bumped this story up to an M rating!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

_Gods, I really am a disaster,_ thought Jaime as the bus pulled away from the Baelor Museum.

He and Brienne had had such a great date - they had talked, shared their love for history, really started to get to know one another - and yet he had failed to seal the deal.

"You've got to set the pace for what type of relationship this is right from the off," Tyrion had instructed him earlier in the day. "If not, she's going to be calling the shots the whole way. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but you've got to let her know what you want. If you still want her romantically after you meet, at the end of the date kiss her with tongues and _tell_ her when you are going to next see her."

Even though Jaime had been _intending_ to do that, none of Tyrion's plan had actually come to fruition, as both he and Brienne had nearly been soaked by a passing bus. That unexpected situation had meant that Jaime had been forced to change his initial strategy, and in the end had only planted a gentle, chaste kiss on Brienne's lips and asked her to let him know when she was free for a second date.

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he told himself as he settled into his seat on the bus. _Brienne's probably got loads of people in line to date her. I didn't make my interest clear, especially after that whole "the Kingslayer is not a villain" stuff. What the hell was I thinking? It is lucky I am good looking, because otherwise she would have immediately spotted how shitty I am. I didn't..._

His phone buzzed.

 _Brienne:_ Hey! I know I just saw you five seconds ago but I wanted to tell you that I had an amazing time 😘

As Jaime had not been expecting that _at all,_ so he let out a surprise sigh, and then focussed his attention on how best to respond. He didn't want to sound _too_ cutesy, but once he saw the variety of emojis on offer, he knew he was a lost cause.

 _Jaime:_ 🥰 🥰 🥰I had a great time too. I am glad there is someone else out there that gets a boner for Age of Ice and Fire stuff too!

 _Brienne:_ Hey! I don't get 🍆 that's just you.

 _Jaime:_ Oh god. I did admit to being the 🍆 didn't I?

 _Brienne:_ Yeah, you did!

 _Jaime:_ 😳 Sorry. It's just getting to talk to a really amazing woman I've wanted to meet for ages kinda does it for me.

 _Brienne:_ Now it is my turn to 😳

 _Jaime:_ I would like to see it in person, actually. You have a cute blush.

 _Brienne:_ 😳

 _Jaime:_ 😂

 _Brienne:_ Well, we might be able to arrange that. I am free on Wednesday evening if you want to do something.

He _did_ want to do something with her, but she had sprung it on him so fast that he didn't have any ideas.

 _Jaime:_ Sounds great. What were you thinking?

 _Brienne:_ We could just go for a drink? Or there's that new docu-drama film about the Long Night they are showing at some arthouse cinemas?

 _Jaime:_ Is that _Cold will Cover the Earth: The Long Night_ with a certain Mr Snow presenting?

 _Brienne: Doctor_ Snow, if you must know, but yes that is the one! Do you fancy it?

 _Jaime:_ Sure. Shall I look up times and message you back?

 _Brienne:_ Sounds great x

* * *

Even though Brienne had been quite bright and excited about the possibility of seeing him again in that message chain, Jaime could not help but feel a little nervous as he hid under his umbrella outside _Raven Cinema_ on Wednesday evening, waiting for Brienne to show up for their second date.

 _It will be fine,_ he told himself. _She liked you, even if she thought the Kingslayer was a villain. You can change her mind. You can..._

"Hey," came a voice, that made him jump and his heart skip a beat at the same time.

Turning around, Jaime saw Brienne. Just like him, she was huddling under an umbrella, her freckled cheeks blushing with the cold or something else. On spying her, his mouth went a bit dry. Due to the weather, Brienne was wearing warmer clothes than he had for their date to the museum; long, thick jeans, a woollen coat, and sensible boots. As Jaime eyes took this visual feast in, Brienne bit her lip.

"It was cold," she mumbled, "and I didn't know what to wear..."

Realising she was nervous, Jaime reached out a took her hand, trying to be reassuring. "It looks good. And the coat seems very warm. Very cosy."

"It is," conceded Brienne, her eyes brightening at his reassurances. "Shall we go and get tickets?"

"Sure," Jaime replied, putting down his umbrella before stepping closer so he could loop his arm through hers. "Let's hope there are tickets left. I'm a bit worried about the fact we didn't book in advance."

He need not have fretted, however, as it turned out that he and Brienne were the only two people in King's Landing who were interested in watching Jon Snow soliloquise at length about the important position the Wall had in the Seven Kingdoms' history, and how it was a significant cultural artefact that needed protecting. The emptiness of the cinema meant that Jaime and Brienne could have the two seats smack bang in the middle of the back row, and spread out as much as they like. Jaime decided not to, however, as he was trying to work out the best way to hold Brienne's hand.

"The Wall is three hundred miles long and nine hundred feet wide," declared Jon Snow from the screen, placing the flat of his hand on the solid ice mass. "It is an immovable part of our collective imagination, but why was it built? I am here to find out!"

The bright blue light of the Wall was projected from the screen into Brienne's eyes, almost making them appear like glowing sapphires in the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaime kept stealing glances at her while edging his hand closer and closer to hers on the arm of the chair.

"According to legend, the Wall was built by Bran the Builder..."

Jaime managed to position his hand on the shared armrest, mainly by drawing the tub of popcorn into his lap.

"Castles were placed for strategic purposes all along the length of the Wall..."

By angling his arm correctly, Jaime sneaked his hand along the armrest so that it was lying next to hers. Once it was there, he decided it was best to wait before putting the next stage of the plan into action.

"... Eastwatch-by-the-Sea was particularly important in defending against Wildling assaults."

Just as Jaime began to try to stroke her finger with his little one, Brienne clearly decided that she had had enough of the stealthy approach and made a fast, decisive grab for his hand. Surprised, Jaime took in a gulp of air, but he quickly recovered when Brienne shot him a brief, warm smile and squeezed his fingers. 

They remained holding hands for the rest of the film, then even when they left the cinema and went to find someplace to eat. 

Jaime and Brienne eventually settled on a trendy looking Pentoshi place with authentic decor not too far from the cinema. To Jaime's joy, they had to wait a little while for a table so, in the meantime, they propped themselves up at the bar and ordered drinks. It meant that Brienne was a little looser lipped by the time they were at a table with their food.

"I'm not convinced by Jon's take on the Bael the Bard legend," Jaime admitted, as her loaded up his Pentoshi wrap with fried fish and spiced beans.

Brienne tilted her head as she looked at him curiously. "No? Why?"

"Do you really think that some ancient lord of Winterfell would have just allowed a singer to wander in and steal his only daughter? And then discover her living in the basement nine months later with her new baby? I don't think so."

Brienne chuckled in such a way that Jaime's heart did a little flip. "Well, Jon Snow obviously thought there was something in it... like as a metaphor or something. Perhaps it was symbolic of the idea that the Starks had ancestry from beyond the Wall... whether that be wildling or Other or whatever."

"I can see it now," smiled Jaime, sensing the joke before he said it. "Mr Stark, we've just got your ancestral DNA results back and I am pleased to inform you that you are eighty-four percent Westerosi, twelve percent Wildling, seven percent Other and three percent whatever."

Brienne snorted with laughter. "You know that comes to 106 percent, don't you?"

"Oooh, someone is good at mental arithmetic," teased Jaime, which only made Brienne chuckle louder, "you should get yourself into academia. Maybe you could work alongside Jon Snow. I think you would quite enjoy that."

"Well he _is_ a very talented conservator," Brienne smiled, pouring more sauce on her sour noodles. "It would be a pleasure to work with him."

"That's not the only reason though, is it?" smirked Jaime.

Brienne narrowed her eyes at him. "Isn't it?"

"Of course not."

"What is the other reason then?" she asked innocently.

Her big blue eyes were so disarming that the next thing that came out of Jaime's mouth felt like a jibe. "Some people would say he is _handsome_."

Brienne stopped eating her food. As she blinked at him, there was a beat of silence in which her expression moved from amused to impassive. For a horrible moment, Jaime wondered if he had insulted her, but then she gave him a nonchalant shrug.

"Jon Snow is not my type," Brienne admitted casually.

Jaime raised his eyebrows. For a history talking head, Jon Snow was remarkably pretty, so he found Brienne's disinterest a surprise. "No? Why's that?"

For a few seconds, she kept swirling her food around on her plate rather than answer, but eventually Brienne looked up and gazed straight into his eyes.

"I prefer blonds," she confessed, a blush blooming in her cheeks.

That she was being so audaciously flirtatious took Jaime by surprise, but he still could not help but smile at her hungrily. "Oh. Good to know," he said, trying to sound flippant, "because I have a thing for blondes too."

Considering how bolt she had just been, the smile that Brienne then gave him was surprisingly innocent. It did things to Jaime that he could not express in anyway other than a maddeningly loud internal monologue.

_I AM A BLOND. I AM A BLOND. IAMABLOND. IAMABLONDIAMABLOND!!!_

* * *

As it turned out, while sweet, lovely Brienne seemed to like blonds (and maybe Jaime in particular), the Blue Knight vehemently did not have a thing for blonds and continued to _despise_ him with the passion of a thousand suns, so much so that the next time he saw her, the city's favourite superhero had no qualms dangling him off the top of a building to get what she wanted.

"Why are the three of you here?" she shouted as she held Jaime out above his doom with one long strong arm, determined to discover why the Sibling Squad had rocked up at City Hall of all places.

Jaime tried to shrug, but it was quite difficult when she had him by the scruff of the neck and his feet were dangling in mid-air. "I have a list of fifty places I want to visit before I die. King's Landing City Hall was one of them."

"Don't lie!" the Blue Knight commanded him firmly, her biceps flexing as she continued to hold him up. "The three of you tripped the alarm coming in here _as usual,_ so it is not like you ended up here on a sight-seeing trip. So tell me why you are here, or I am not joking I will drop you off this building."

Although Jaime could have told the Blue Knight that his father had sent the Sibling Squad to scout out City Hall and give him a rough plan of the building for some nefarious purpose than none of them were any the wiser of, it was much more fun to tease her.

"Oh, you are not going to drop me, wench."

At the use of that nickname - _wench_ \- the Blue Knight blushed furiously. Jaime thought it was quite cute. "I promise I _will_ drop you," she declared.

"No you won’t," smiled Jaime, which was fairly brave of him considering there was a tiny part of him that really did believe the Blue Knight _would_ drop him to his death, even if she felt a bit guilty about it afterwards.

Although her mask obscured many of her expressions, Jaime thought the Blue Knight was raising her eyebrows in surprise. "Yes I will! Why do you think I won't?"

The answer was quite simple. "Because you will miss me."

The Blue Knight was so horrified by that statement that she nearly _did_ drop him off the top of a skyscraper, but luckily for Jaime, Tyrion had the power to move things with his mind. Therefore, Jaime's little brother was able to swipe him back onto the roof just in time before he plunged to his death. While Jaime tried to straighten his super suit and his hair, the Blue Knight ran away, clearly highly embarrassed about what she had just admitted to by not saying anything at all.

Jaime felt strangely pleased with himself.

* * *

Although it took a few days for Jaime to get over his near accidental death at the Blue Knight's hand, he was still quite keen to see Brienne again, so tried to take his mind off his own mortality by planning fun things they could do together. When the idea finally came to him, he was so excited that he texted Brienne almost immediately.

 _Jaime:_ How do you feel about me driving us out to Rosby at the weekend so we can look at the ruins?

Brienne replied almost at once.

 _Brienne:_ YES!! You can gnaw my ear off about the castle's vital role in feeding King's Landing during the War of the Five Kings, and the succession dispute after the death of Gyles Rosby.

 _Jaime:_ You can pretend to be bored all you want, but I know you 💗it.

And then it seemed like she really did love it when they finally got to Rosby, as Brienne let him mansplain all the geeky little facts that he knew about grain supply trains during the Age of Ice and Fire and internal politics of the Small Council during King Tommen's reign. They then walked around the ruin and Jaime pointed out all the key architectural features of the castle, that would have kept it defended in a time of war.

"You can just see the remains of the moat down there... and over here there are the stairs leading to the East Barbican... and if you really squint you can still seem some crenellations on that wall over there."

"And what is this room here?" asked Brienne, pointing to a small enclosed space to her left.

Squinting at the map provided by the Information Desk, Jaime tried to work it out. "Ummm... I think that is the garderobe."

Brienne furrowed her brow. "And what is a garderobe, when it's at home?"

"Errr... it is a shithouse."

Quite unexpectedly, Brienne spluttered with laughter.

"What?" he smiled.

"I am so pleased that a trainee architect called a room a _shithouse_ when I asked him what it was," Brienne smirked. "I am so glad you know all the correct lingo."

"Are you smirking at me, Brienne?" Jaime teased, linking his fingers with hers.

"I might be," she parried back, "but I've been informed that is how all medieval maidens charmed noble knights who point out where the nearest shithouse is for them. It is called courtly love."

Jaime laughed, shaking his head. "Teasing is not courtly love. Courtly love is where I put you on a pedestal and endlessly pine for you, never crossing the line into what can't be."

"You think we can't be?" Brienne asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Jaime skimmed his tongue across his lip, and he was gratified to discover that Brienne's eyes dropped to his mouth as he did so. "Oh no, Brienne. I think we very much will be... I'll show you, if you want."

After winning her mumbled, blushing acquiescence, Jaime took Brienne back to the drum tower. Once, it had been built to terrify people who dare try to besiege the castle, but now it was nothing but a romantic ruin. The arrow slits now contained bird's nests, and the entire east wall had crumbled away, meaning Jaime and Brienne could slip inside undetected by anyone else. Once Jaime had Brienne in the shadowed centre of the drum tower, he pressed a light kiss to the back of her hand and then a firmer one against her lips. To his utter happiness, Brienne responded at once, sticking her tongue clumsily into his mouth and cupping her hand around the back of his neck.

For a transient moment, Jaime felt like a maiden being wooed by a brave knight.

* * *

On date four they went bowling, where Brienne proceeded to whip Jaime's arse in all three games, before taking him out for the ultimate greasy burger and fries. Jaime didn't mind, however, as afterwards they sat in her car and rubbed up against each other like two horny teenagers, and she didn't even seem to care that he had eaten the garlic bread alongside his dinner.

Date Five was even more exciting as Jaime drove Brienne all the way to Stokeworth so they could go to the zoo. Given his family background, Jaime had been quite intent on seeing the lions, and Brienne had diligently accompanied him there while holding his hand, happily letting him tell her facts about the animals.

"Did you know that lions are the only big cats that live in family groups?"

"Like the Lannisters?" Brienne asked gently. She said it with such nuance that Jaime could have taken it as a teasing joke or an opportunity to open up. He chose the latter.

"I guess," he shrugged. "I am close to Tyrion and Cersei, because you kinda had to be growing up with Tywin Lannister for a father. In the face of his tyranny, we only had each other."

Perhaps seeing the love for his siblings in his eyes, Brienne gazed at him warmly. "I would love to meet Tyrion and Cersei. I am sure we would get on like a house on fire."

"It can be arranged," Jaime grinned.

After he had got home from the zoo, the first thing Jaime did was to check with Tyrion and Cersei to see if they could make any time to meet his sort-of girlfriend, but he soon discovered that their father had scheduled lots of Sibling Squad time in the near future. It meant that he barely had time for Brienne himself - indeed, their sixth date was only a quick catch up over coffee during their lunch hour - and even less time for just hanging out with his brother and sister. Indeed, the only time they got together was when their father had them climbing one of the tallest buildings in King's Landing to see if it would be a convenient place to fix a giant laser.

"I thought you said Father didn't have a big enough budget for a laser?" asked Cersei when they eventually got to the roof, surveying the wide open space for laser-placing potential.

Tyrion rolled his eyes. "Cers, you proposed a laser on the moon. There is a small difference here."

At his slightly dismissive statement, Cersei started biting back at Tyrion declaring there wasn't a huge difference between a skyscraper and the moon, and before long the two of them were bickering quite enthusiastically about how rich their father was exactly. They were so involved that the three of them did not notice the Blue Knight coming up the stairs, wearing her _I-am-not-very-impressed-with-you-three-morons_ face.

"What are you doing?" she asked, turning from the Kingslayer, to the Evil Queen, to the Imp in turn, staring at them all intently to see who would crack first.

As Cersei and Tyrion shared a shifty look, Jaime tried snark. "Oh, we're just chilling. What about you, wench? Have you come to admire the view? I am looking very handsome today."

To his immense amusement, the Blue Knight lit up like a firework and went bright red. "I am not here to look at you!" she thundered, with all the rage of an angry goddess. "I have a boyfriend!"

"Do you?" Jaime asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the pit of his stomach, even though he knew it was wholly irrational. "Really?"

"Well... sort of... we're not official or anything yet."

As Jaime basked in his weird relief, Tyrion cut in. "You've still got a chance, Kingslayer."

"No he has not!" shouted the Blue Knight indignantly, which only succeeded in making Jaime laugh.

Smirking, he blew her a kiss. "I think this might be a case of _the lady doth protest too much."_

In all the time they had been arch-enemies, Jaime had thought the Blue Knight was driven by nothing but honour, duty, and the desire to do the right thing; all good motivations, really. However, in that moment, Jaime also saw that the Blue Knight could be inspired by nothing but basic, animal rage. It was terrifying... but kinda sexy at the same time.

When she lunged for him, Jaime swerved out of the way and gave his orders. "Evil Queen, Imp... run! I'll hold her off."

Knowing that Cersei's power did not work on the Blue Knight, Jaime swiftly realised that he at least had to get his sister to safety before he and Tyrion escaped. Luckily for the Sibling Squad, however, the Blue Knight was so angry with him that she barely even noticed when Cersei and Tyrion ran down the stairs she had just come up of, because she only had eyes for the Kingslayer. Ignoring the other two thirds of the Sibling Squad, she she lauched herself at him with all the force of a thunderstorm at its worse. It was all Jaime could do to avoid her blows where he could and parry them where he couldn't. Although she could potentially inflict some quite serious damage on him, Jaime could not help but admire her. She was just so _strong._

"YOU. ARE. SUCH. AN. ARSE!" screamed the Blue Knight, trying to land a punch on the Kingslayer with every word.

He could not help but smirk as he evaded every blow. "You love me for it though, don't you?"

That was possibly the worst thing he could have said, because then her face went a violent red colour and she threw a punch at him with all the force she could muster. As he had been too busy smugly smiling at her red-faced fury, Jaime wasn't fast enough, and her powerful, balled fist smacked straight into his chest, part way between his shoulder and his right pec. It hurt so much that Jaime was surprised there wasn't an exit wound.

Although once again Tyrion and Cersei came to his rescue, the punch the Blue Knight inflicted on him was still seriously hurting several days later, even when he went on his seventh date with Brienne. The pain was a little irritating as she had decided they should go and take a picnic out to Rosby Road so they could sit on the cliffs overlooking Blackwater Bay and watch the sunset. As, deep down, Jaime Lannister was a sappy romantic, he had jumped at that idea, even though it had meant he had been forced to haul a huge picnic basket filled with sandwiches, sausage rolls, and lemon cakes up to the picturesque meadow. With every step he took, his shoulder protested painfully.

"Are you okay?" Brienne asked after they were both laying down on the picnic blanket, her head rested on his good shoulder. "You are not uncomfortable or anything, are you?"

Jaime could not help but smile at her concern. "I'm fine. Just enjoying the peace."

It really was quite amazing to just lie there with her, the wind rustling through his hair as if they were her fingers, her warmth beside him. From her position on his chest, Brienne reached out and held his hand, and in response he just kissed the crown of her head. It was all so perfect Jaime wondered whether he had died and gone to heaven. They stayed like that - listening to the birds and the sound of the distant sea - for quite some time, until it became apparent to the both of them that this closeness was not enough. They needed more. Wanting her, Jaime pulled her towards him so he could kiss her properly; all tongue and tenderness. In response, Brienne gently pushed him down into the picnic blanket, putting all her weight on him. He tried not to wince.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Brienne asked, drawing away slightly so she could look him square in the face.

Jaime attempted to move her slightly so that she wasn't lying on his bad shoulder, all the while smiling at her reassuringly. "It's fine. I'm just getting you in a position that is more comfortable for me."

"Would you rather you go on top?" she asked, looking at him searching as if his answer could wound her.

Needing her to know how much he wanted this, Jaime shook his head vehemently. "No. Stay on top. Please. I want to kiss you like this."

He did not know whether it was his words or the tone he said it in, but in the next second, Brienne was upon him, kissing him with the force of a distant thunderstorm; strong, terrifying, but at the same time wonderful. Lost beneath her, Jaime could not help but melt into her, letting her have him in whatever way she wanted. He felt tremendously lucky that they were alone in the meadow, because the feel of her hungry and wanting kisses was enough to set his desire for her alight, and in less than heartbeat he was stirring, hard against her thigh.

They kissed and kissed until the sunset was in reach and then Brienne pulled away, gazing at him so softly with her big blue eyes, her lips swollen from kisses. Jaime wondered if she was going to sit up to watch the sky, but instead she stayed on top of him, weighing him down. He would not have moved even if he could.

"Jaime?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you want to come back to mine?"

She said it so quietly that he barely heard her.

"Pardon?"

"I said," Brienne declared, trying again, "do you want to come back to mine?"

Although Jaime was no expert at this dating thing, he was pretty sure that could only mean one thing.

"For a nightcap? Or a _nightcap?"_ he asked, hoping that the emphasis would tell her his meaning quite clearly.

Her lips curled up in a smile. "The latter."

"Oh yeah," he grinned in response, trying to sound casual but failing spectacularly. "That would be great."

Deciding it was not in their best interests to wait for sunset, Jaime and Brienne packed up the remaining food from the picnic, gathered the blanket and basket, and headed back to Brienne's car. Once they were inside, Brienne turned the radio on and determinedly did not look at him.

 _If I was driving, I would do the same,_ Jaime thought. _Having her sitting next to me would make me crash the car, especially knowing what we are going to do later..._

Before long, they had pulled into the driveway of a manor house just outside the city. It was austerely beautiful, built with white marble, and it glowed like a star in the early evening light. Although it was absolutely charming, Jaime thought it was quite opposite to the ostentatious, palatial splendour of Casterly Rock in which he had grown up.

"Wow," he murmured as he got out of the car.

"Welcome to Evenfall Manor," Brienne smiled, blushing with both a pride and a little embarrassment. "This is where I grew up. My father left it to me before he died and I've lived here ever since."

"All on your own?" asked Jaime, amazed, thinking how insane it was that Brienne could live here alone, flitting around like a lonely ghost.

However, to his immense relief, Brienne shook her head. "No... my, err... butler Pod lives here too."

"You have a _butler?"_ said Jaime in surprise. Seeing the way she was chewing at her lip, he could not help but tease her. "Turns out you _are_ a rich girl after all. I just live in a crappy one bed flat."

Brienne laughed. "I bet it is not that crappy. You are Jaime _Lannister,_ after all."

"True," he grinned, picking up the picnic basket and blanket from the backseat so she wouldn't have to carry them, "but even so, I don't have a live in butler."

"Pod has a life of his own. I let him out... occasionally, and he has the whole West Wing of the house to himself."

"How good of you," Jaime said sarcastically as Brienne locked the car up. Given his teasing mood, he expected her to say something back but, instead, she just asked him a simple question.

"Would you like to come inside?"

Nodding, Jaime let Brienne lead him into Evenfall Manor and he could not help but gasp. Although much of it was old and a little rundown, it had an old-world type charm to it that seemed, somehow, unmistakably Brienne. "Do you think this place was around in the time of Ice and Fire?" he asked, genuinely intrigued. "Would the Dragon Queen and the Broken King have feasted here, do you reckon?"

When they reached the kitchen, Brienne took the basket and blanket away from him and put them on the table. "I don't think so. I looked it up; Evenfall Manor is not on any maps from the period, although it is built from genuine Tarth marble so... who knows how long it has been here? Would you like to see the upstairs?"

Once again, the pair of them fell into silence as they made their way upstairs. Turning decisively into the East Wing - "I don't want Pod to bother us," said Brienne - it did not take them long to find what they were looking for; her bedroom. In spite of the grandeur of the rest of the house, Brienne's bedroom was remarkably simple. It had a sea theme, with sky blue walls and navy curtains, and a picture showing a map of Tarth. Jaime thought it seemed quite perfect for this woman he was slowly coming to know; plain, modest, but at the same time warm and cosy. He couldn't help but smile.

Brienne, however, looked a little concerned.

"What's the matter?" he asked, stepping forward, suddenly conscious of the soft feel of the carpet beneath his feet.

At his question, Brienne blushed and dropped her eyes to the floor. It was clear she was struggling to find the words. "I don't often do this."

Jaime narrowed his eyes at her confusedly. "What?"

"Invite men back to my house after dates," she confessed, her blush suddenly turning from embarrassment into a deep, deep shame. "In fact I... don't have much experience of this at _all_."

As it was clear Brienne was currently working herself up into a bit of state, Jaime walked forward so he was right in front of her, near enough to reach out and take her hands in his. "Don't worry," he murmured, entwining their fingers, "I don't have a lot of experience of this either."

"You don't?" asked Brienne, surprised.

Jaime shook his head. "No. I don't. I was with my childhood sweetheart for many years but after we broke up... crickets. Work somehow seemed more important."

 _It was after Aerys,_ Jaime remembered. _Who could love me when my hands are covered in blood?_

Brienne could not see that side of him, however, so just stepped forward until they were close enough to share a breath. "We can help each other then."

"Yes," replied Jaime, feeling as if his heart was swelling with sheer happiness. "We can."

As there were no more words to say, Jaime leant forward and kissed her, instantly activating the hot pool of desire that had been sitting at the base of his spine since they left the meadow. It was quite unlike any of the kisses they had shared before; it was not sweet or chaste, exploratory or challenging, or even particularly tentative. It was all the unbridled passion that had been simmering below their every interaction, even right back to that first _hi_ uttered on a dating app.

Having all the control of a teenage boy finally getting to touch a girl, Jaime pawed at Brienne, untucking her shirt from her jeans as his tongue plundered her mouth. To his immense delight, Brienne was making pleased little growls at the back of her throat as she pulled at his buttons, freeing him from his clothes with a precision he would not have credited her with.

"Brienne... oh, Brienne... Brienne..."

They were so hungry for each other that Brienne even hurt him a little as she clawed at his flies - she was so _strong_ \- and he was a little worried he had permanently broken her bra when he flung it across the room.

"Shit, did I rip it?" he asked, pulling away from her kiss to glance at the remainders of her bra which were now hanging from her bedside lamp.

Brienne let out a breathy chuckle. "I don't really care, I..."

Then quite suddenly, everything changed. Once they stopped kissing, it was as if the spell was momentarily broken, as Brienne abruptly realised that she was standing in front of him wearing nothing but her knickers. Her eyes went very wide and then she attempted to cover herself with her arms, shame seeping into what they were doing together.

"No," he moaned quickly to get her to stop. "No... please. I want to see you."

That statement was clearly such a revelation to Brienne that when she dropped her arms, she not only allowed him to see her - _all_ of her - but also picked up his hands and drew them towards her breasts. Once she realised what she was doing, Brienne faltered once more.

Sensing her nervousness, Jaime realised he had to take the lead, and obliged her quite willingly.

"Can I touch you?" he asked, worrying he might die if she said no.

She swallowed loudly. "Y-Y-Yes... just gently."

Nodding, Jaime did what he was told. Moving the small distance remaining, he lifted his hands to cup her breasts as softly as if he were holding an injured bird. At the moment of contact, Brienne let out an aching little moan that went right to his cock.

"Jaime... _yes..._ "

Although he kept touching and stroking her just the way she wanted, Jaime became determined to swallow all her sighs, so kissed her once more, refusing to take his hands off her breasts as he did so. Brienne seemed to appreciate this greatly, as she bunched her hands in his hair and held him close, kissing and kissing until they could both taste blood. Eventually, the dual sensations of the kissing and touching, touching and kissing clearly got too much for Brienne, as she pulled away with a huge gasp. For a moment, Jaime wondered if he had done something wrong as she stepped back even further, seemingly content to just run her eyes over him, taking in every inch.

He was content to exist in her judgement until she spoke again and said something that nearly scratched his heart.

"Oh no," purred Brienne gently, her eyes wide.

Jaime bit his lip. Was he disappointing her in some way? "What's the matter?"

"You've got a big bruise just here," she said, moving close once more so she could touch the purpling mark. It was where the Blue Knight had punched him. "How did you get it?"

Scrabbling around for some covering lie, Jaime came up with something particularly lame. "Erm... oh... when I was walking down the street the other day there was... uh... these kids playing football... and the ball hit me."

For a horrible moment, Jaime thought that Brienne was not going to buy that. However, eventually, she put him out of his misery by giving him a soothing smile. "Awww, poor Jaime."

"Yes," Jaime grinned, happy he had cleanly jumped over that hurdle. "You should feel very sorry for me."

Feather-light fingers drew little circles over the mark, before Brienne bent down to kiss it. "Oh, I do. Very sorry. In fact, I'll do everything in my power to make you feel better."

"Will you?" Jaime asked breathily as she began to forge a path of kisses along his chest; from bruise, to nipple, to belly button. Her kisses were not all of equal force. Some were like raindrops; others were powerful and threatened to leave new marks. However, Jaime loved each and every one, totally surrendering to her as she continued to kiss him and then shrug his underwear off his hips so they pooled to the floor by his feet. Jaime sighed. She was _ardent._ Losing the ability to speak, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensation of Brienne slowly moving down his body, not wanting to leave any inch of him untouched, until she was on her knees before him.

Kissing and kissing and kissing.

Lower, and lower... and _lower._

And when Brienne stopped kissing and started sucking... well, Jaime nearly lost his damn mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As ever, I love to hear what you think in the form of comments and kudos. I write for fun, publish for feedback :)


	7. Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime meets Sansa and Pod...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for coming back! I hope you enjoy this slice of silliness. There is something slightly mysterious going on in this chapter, so I will be keen to know if anyone spots it!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

_Jaime:_ What do newly made boyfriends usually wear to meet their girlfriend's live-in butlers?

 _Brienne:_ I'm no expert on the matter, but I would suggest clothes.

 _Jaime:_ What a revolutionary thought. I'll have to change my original plan of rocking up in my nameday suit to something more sartorial.

 _Brienne:_ That's probably a good idea. Pod is loyal but being forced to sit through dinner with you starkers might scar him for life. Sansa would probably enjoy it, though.

 _Jaime:_ Why? Is she just as shallow as you? 😛

 _Brienne:_ Rude.🖕

 _Jaime:_ I'm sorry. To make up for it, I promise I will get naked for you alone once Sansa has gone home and Pod has hidden in his mole hole xxx

 _Brienne:_ Pod does not live in a mole hole! He has the entire West Wing of the house.

 _Jaime:_ That is so magnanimous of you! 😛

 _Brienne:_ 🖕

Although her conversation with Jaime was as light and teasing as usual, Brienne could not help but feel nervous. After her father's death, Pod was the closest thing she had to family, so she really wanted her butler to like her new boyfriend. The same went for Sansa, but in that situation, Brienne felt even more worried; Catelyn Stark and Tywin Lannister were currently battling it out in a highly public and dramatic election campaign. Still, Brienne hoped Jaime and Sansa could get over it.

 _Sansa:_ I shouldn't wear red, should I?

 _Brienne:_ Why not?

 _Sansa:_ It is a Lannister colour. Will that be awkward with everything that is going on?

 _Brienne:_ I doubt it. Jaime is actually surprisingly chill about the whole being a Lannister thing.

 _Sansa:_ Well, I suppose I will have to be surprisingly chill about the whole being a Stark thing.

Having reassured both Jaime and Sansa about the imminent dinner, Brienne stared at herself in the mirror for a long time. Her boyfriend and her best friend were not the only ones freaking out about what to wear. Eventually, Brienne had settled on a smart pair of jeans and a nice blue blouse - not too fancy but not too casual - and she hoped it would be okay. She kept her slippers on though. The four of them would only be eating in the dining room, after all. Once she had put a dash of mascara on, Brienne left her bedroom in favour of going to find Pod. Unsurprisingly, he was in the kitchen, wrestling with the roast dinner while simultaneously trying to ice the Victoria Sponge.

"Hey Pod, do you want me to take over cake duty?" she asked, when she saw how red-faced he was.

"Yes please, Miss Brienne."

Despite the fact she and Pod had basically grown up together, Pod had always called her _Miss Brienne,_ no matter how much she tried to shake him out of the habit. Given this history, Brienne did not fight her conferred title, and merely took over putting the butter icing on the cake in neat, firm strokes. It left Pod free to check on the potatoes.

"Miss Brienne?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you sure Mr Lannister won't want something more... luxurious than what I can make?"

Laughing to herself that Jaime had already earnt the title _Mr Lannister,_ Brienne set out to soothe Pod. "Why do you say that?"

"Well," replied Pod, not quite meeting her eye. "Mr Lannister's father is one of the richest and most powerful people in King's Landing. He's probably been to all the best restaurants in the city."

Brienne had not considered that before. She had only been dating Jaime for a month and a half, but he had not yet shown her any conspicuous flashes of his evident wealth.

 _Apart from the expensively tailored suits,_ she thought.

"Jaime's not like that," said Brienne, trying to be reassuring. "And, anyway, Sansa is also from one of the most powerful families in King's Landing and you've never had any problems cooking for her. In fact, Sansa loves your food."

To Brienne's immense surprise, Pod then looked a little guilty. "Yes, but the Starks are... _good._ They are philanthropists, Ned was the Police Commissioner who was committed to ridding the city of crime and corruption, Catelyn uses her power to found charities and do good works. Tywin Lannister just enriches himself and his cronies..."

"Jaime is not like that," said Brienne, cutting Pod off before he could go any further. "He's sweet and attentive and loves Jon Snow documentaries. He doesn't care about his father's business and doesn't want to take over _LannCorp_ after Tywin dies. You shouldn't judge him just by his family's reputation before you know the real him. I promise you, he's a good guy."

"Would you trust him with your secret?" Pod asked, turning away from the oven to look at her intently. "Would you tell him you are the Blue Knight?"

Brienne swallowed heavily. She had never been one for romantic relationships, sure, she had a few dalliances in her teens that went nowhere but had _never_ had a boyfriend in all the time she had been the Blue Knight. Consequently, Brienne had not given much thought to the effect her alter-ego would have in her budding new romance. She did not want to imagine this lovely relationship could founder so soon over something so stupid.

"I only trust _you_ with my secret, Pod," said Brienne firmly, keeping her eyes on the cake. "I haven't told Sansa, either, and that has had no effect on our relationship."

"But you _would_ tell her, wouldn't you? If it didn't put her life in danger?"

"Well, yes of course. I mean I..."

"Could you say the same for Jaime?"

Brienne pressed her mouth into a frustrated little line. "It is early days, but I would like to think so."

"Is that because he is actually trustworthy or because you _want_ to trust him?" asked Pod. "He's a Lannister. There is a difference."

Getting irritated, Brienne put the knife down on the counter. "Pod, I can't tell you anymore than what I already know. I _believe_ Jaime is a good guy. I _believe_ he is dependable. I _believe_ he wouldn't hurt me. So could you possibly trust me on this one? Jaime is a great guy and is already making me so happy. I know it is our job to be serious about these things - we fight crime for a living, after all - but he's not the Kingslayer in disguise or something, okay? Jaime is my boyfriend and I want it to work out. And I trust him. I do."

Sensing her upset, Pod sighed. "I'm sorry, Miss Brienne. I just want you to be happy."

"I know, Pod," Brienne replied, softening her tone. "I'm sorry for getting cross too. I promise that Jaime is a lovely guy and you will see that when he turns up tonight. Okay?"

Pod nodded, although he did not look entirely convinced. "Okay."

* * *

It took another twenty minutes of Pod and Brienne preparing the dinner before their guests made their appearance. Sansa arrived first. Although it was a fairly chilly evening, she was wearing a light summer dress and a tailored jacket, as if she was going to a wedding or a graduation. Her face was alight with a mischievous grin so, before Brienne even had a chance to say hello, Sansa excitedly whispered, "is he here yet?"

"Not yet, but he shouldn't be long," replied Brienne with a tight smile.

Sansa narrowed her eyes at her. "Why are you looking so nervous?"

"Dunno," lied Brienne, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I just want this to go well."

"It will. In fact, I bet it will go swimmingly!" chirped Sansa, before linked her arm with Brienne's and gesturing towards the door. "Lead on, Brienne. I want to see what your charming Pod has made for us for dinner."

By the time Brienne and Sansa had made it to the kitchen, the dinners were served on their plates and warming in the oven. Pod looked immensely pleased with himself. "Hello Miss Sansa," he said cheerfully, a blush overcoming his cheeks. "Have you had a good day?"

"All the better now I'm here for your food," she grinned, which only made Pod blush harder. "Will it be long?"

"I will serve up when Mr Lannister arrives."

At the mention of Pod's timetable, Sansa turned to Brienne, her expression sharpening into a tease. "And when is _Mr Lannister_ going to arrive, Brienne?"

As if he had been summoned out of the aether, at that moment, Jaime rang the doorbell. "Right now, I suppose," answered Brienne with relief. "I think I will go and let him in..."

However, Sansa had other ideas. Pelting out of the kitchen (even though she was wearing cute kitten heels), Sansa dashed towards the front door, meaning Brienne had to run to catch up.

"Wait! You can't look too keen!" she panted.

Sansa seemed to realise that Brienne was talking sense, as once she got to the front door, she skidded to a halt and straightened up immediately. "Brienne, you've gone all red in the face. You've got to calm down."

"That is because you just made me run here from the kitchen! This is a very big house!"

Rolling her eyes, Sansa put her hands on Brienne's shoulders. "I cannot tell you how excited I am to meet him!"

"Sansa, if you go on like this, you will scare him," said Brienne admonishingly. "As my boyfriends have always been thin on the ground, can you _please_ try and act normal? I don't want you to frighten him away with your enthusiasm."

Chuckling, Sansa stepped back. "Of course, Miss Brienne. Why don't you open the door? Your Prince Charming awaits."

It took Brienne a few moments to put away her blush, but once she had succeeded, she flung open the front door to find her boyfriend standing on the porch. Jaime was wearing one his expensive tailored suit jackets - this time maroon - over a black t-shirt and paired with black jeans. Brienne's throat felt weirdly dry.

"Hey Brienne," he smiled, stepping into the house and wrapping his arms around her. "Long time no see."

"We saw each other yesterday," she mumbled into his shoulder, before letting him kiss her.

"Too long," he grinned.

Basking in his warm, loving glow, Brienne only pulled away from Jaime when Sansa let out a small cough. "Oh yes, Jaime. This is my best friend, Sansa Stark. Sansa Stark, this is Jaime Lannister."

At the evocation of the two famous political dynasties they belonged to, both Jaime and Sansa pulled matching faces of discomfort. It was followed by a few seconds of silence that for one horrible moment Brienne thought threatened to bring down the whole evening before it had even begun.

Eventually, Jaime broke the tension.

"Well, it is lovely to meet you Sansa," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Likewise," she replied, taking him up on his offer. "Although I _am_ surprised that we haven't met at one of those boring political events my mother always insists I come to. I have met both your brother and sister several times."

Jaime let out a laugh between his teeth. "Gods, I never like going to those things. I don't like to let my father believe that he has my support. I find it is always the best thing to do the bare minimum when it comes to Tywin Lannister and his plans for world domination."

"Well, my mother is always mentioning me, my brothers and sister on the campaign trail as good PR, so I feel your pain," smiled Sansa.

As Jaime and Sansa started sharing a knowing smile, Brienne sighed on the inside, thanking all the gods that they had already vaulted over the _our-parents-are-mortal-enemies_ hurdle. "Right guys, shall we go and meet Pod?" Brienne said brightly, determined not to let them linger in the moment.

"Sounds great," replied Jaime, looping his arm around Brienne's waist. "I am so excited to meet my girlfriend's mysterious butler."

When the three of them arrived back down in the kitchen, Pod had just finished putting the three plates under their fancy cloches. He turned around the moment he heard the door swing open behind him.

"Oh, Mr Lannister," he said, unsmiling.

Jaime seemed unperturbed. Apparently, he was used to being judged for his surname. "Hello. You must be Pod. Please call me Jaime, my father is Mr Lannister."

"Yes," said Pod thinly as he took Jaime's proffered hand to shake. "Well... _Mr Jaime._ Dinner is about to be served. Would you like to come through to the dining room.

In spite of Brienne's fears, sinner went swimmingly. Not only was Pod's food gorgeous, but Sansa and Jaime had a surprising amount in common, both being the offspring of political superstars. Beyond that, they also had a shared fascination with crappy rom-coms, which was revealed when Sansa declared _Pretty Wench_ was her favourite film.

"Oh, that's a good one. Although I also like _Mean Maidens,"_ replied Jaime.

"Oh yeah, that's very funny," agreed Sansa. "I love the food fight at the end."

Brienne smiled. "Don't get any ideas, you two."

Pod took a little while longer to warm up, as throughout the dinner he kept shooting suspicious looks at Jaime. Brienne eventually found the solution to this predicament after they had finished gobbling up the cake - which Jaime proclaimed was the best thing he had ever eaten - when she suggested that they play Pod's favourite game on the PS4; _Knights and Squires._ Ten minutes later, Brienne and Sansa were sitting on the sofa in one of the living rooms drinking champagne and watching Pod and Jaime beat the shit out of the two knights they had designed on the PS4.

"You should have gone for heavier armour," Pod insisted, as his virtual alter-ego smashed his massive war hammer down towards Jaime's shining knight. "I could crush you into a pulp."

Jaime shook his head. "Nah. Speed and agility are much better. You just avoid the punches and tire your opponent out. Ask the Blue Knight; she is always getting her arse whooped by the Kingslayer."

While Sansa was totally oblivious to what Jaime had just said (as she was busy chugging down her champagne), both Brienne and Pod froze. Having lost the ability to speak, Brienne was immensely glad when Pod decided to defend the Blue Knight's honour.

"She does _not_ get her arse whooped by the Kingslayer," Pod said, turning to Jaime. "In fact, he gets his arse whooped by _her_."

Not sensing the edge to Pod's voice, Jaime laughed. "While I think the Kingslayer would very much enjoy getting his arse whooped by the Blue Knight, it doesn't happen very often. Didn't you hear? She recently let the Kingslayer get away from the Baelor Museum with the priceless Dragonbinder. It was all over the news."

Brienne would not let Jaime get away with that, so interrupted Pod when he tried to speak. "But Dragonbinder got _returned,_ so the Blue Knight basically won."

"Or," replied Jaime teasingly. "It just tells of the Kingslayer's good character."

Pod looked a little horrified by that suggestion. "The Kingslayer does not have a good character!" he squawked, putting down the PS4 controller, "the Kingslayer..."

However, Pod never got to finish his sentence, as Jaime had taken the opportunity of the butler's distraction to slip around his alter-ego and land a devastating punch to the chest, thereby winning the game.

"GAME OVER!" declared the PS4 as Jaime looked around smugly.

"I told you that was important," he grinned. "Speed and agility."

In spite of Pod's grumpy expression, that old adage again proved to be true after he and Jaime started up a new game. A few minutes later, when Sansa was laughing so hard about some ridiculous work gossip about Renly and one of the janitors that Brienne had told her that she waved her arm and smashed Brienne's glass right out of her hand. Not quick enough to catch it, Brienne could only watch as it went tumbling to the floor. On the other hand, Jaime was clearly not satisfied with champagne on the carpet. Without even taking his eyes off the PS4, he stretched his arm back - quick as a whip - and caught the glass, still full of champagne, mid-air. Then, as if it was nothing, he put it back in Brienne's hand.

"Bloody hell!" Brienne exclaimed, as Sansa looked on incredulously. "You've got quick reflexes!"

Jaime shrugged, still committed to his virtual sword fight with Pod. "What can I say? I told you in my dating profile that I am speedy."

Although Jaime seemed nonplussed about what had happened, Brienne herself was still shocked, and it took Sansa tugging on her arm to bring her fully back into the room. "Come on, shall we go and fill up the glasses? Pod's is looking pretty low."

"So is yours," replied Brienne, using the joke to get over the fact that Jaime's quick reflexes were making her feel hot and bothered.

Leaving Jaime and Pod to their knight battle, Brienne and Sansa retreated to the kitchen with all four glasses, where Brienne set about refilling them. She worked in silence until she finally found the courage to ask Sansa what she had been wanting to all evening. "So, what do you think?"

"Of what?" replied Sansa, taking a sip of her drink. It was clear she was slightly sloshed.

" _Jaime,"_ said Brienne, trying not to roll her eyes. "What do you think of him?"

Sansa grinned at Brienne, her eyes sparkling. "I think you've got yourself a catch there, Brienne. Even if he is a Lannister."

At that compliment, Brienne found herself blushing. "He is lovely, isn't he?"

"Yes," agreed Sansa. "And he does seem very into you."

That pleased Brienne more than anything. "Do you think so? It's only that I know this won't last forever, and eventually he'll get bored..."

It was as if Sansa had just crashed into an emotional wall. From looking very happy and pleased, her expression suddenly became one of concern. "Why the hell do you say that?"

"Because..." began Brienne, trying to find the words to explain. "He's attractive and interesting and I'm... not. Believe me, I am trying to keep us together for as long as possible but... I know what I am. It would be silly to get carried away."

Gazing at her concernedly, Sansa stepped forward and rested her hand on Brienne's wrist. " _Get_ carried away. This is precisely what the early stage of a romance is about; ripping each other's clothes off and having sex on the beach and talking all night and thinking you are going to be together forever. Enjoy it. You are only going to have the pleasure of falling in love with Jaime Lannister once."

"But what if he's not falling in love with me?" asked Brienne quietly, trying to hide her embarrassment by taking a sip of her champagne.

Sansa tilted her head. "There's nothing you can do to change that. So, just enjoy what _you_ are feeling, and let yourself be washed away by it."

Brienne tried to follow Sansa's advice when it got to the end of the evening and Sansa and Jaime went to head home. After hugs all round, Jaime pulled Brienne close and whispered in her ear. "I'll miss you," he purred, his warm breath on her ear as gentle as a kiss.

"Don't be silly," Brienne smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow after work."

"That's too long," he pouted.

Picking up the gist of their conversation, Sansa started staring pointedly at Brienne. It didn't take a genius to work out what she was trying to convey.

"Jaime?"

"Yes, Brienne?"

She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I know we are both working tomorrow, but I was just wondering if..."

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to stay the night. You could always borrow one of my pairs of pyjamas; they would probably fit you."

She had thought Jaime would be horrified by that suggestion, but instead he just beamed at her. "That sounds perfect."

Consequently, after Brienne had said goodnight to a very pleased looking Sansa ( _You go girl!_ she whispered, on her way out) and Pod had retreated to the West Wing/Mole Hole, Brienne found herself taking Jaime to her bedroom and rooting out a pair of old pyjamas for him to wear. The only good fit were pink.

"My sister would love to see me in this," Jaime chuckled, gazing at himself in the mirror as he stared down at the cutesy pink cat on his chest. "She'd be laughing for days."

Brienne could not help but smile at the sight of him admiring himself, his body still looking fabulous in her unsightly pyjamas. She really was so lucky. "I would like to meet Cersei soon. And Tyrion."

Jaime nodded, his eyes sparkling. "I'll arrange it."

Soothed by the fact Jaime wanted to invite her into a new part of his life, Brienne climbed into bed. Jaime followed immediately after and wrapped his arms around her.

"Goodnight, Brienne," he whispered, tucking her head under his chin.

"Goodnight, Jaime," she replied, feeling warmer and happier than she ever had before.

Apparently, resting in the arms of somebody you loved, lost in contentment, made for good sleeping, as soon Brienne found herself in a deep slumber. When she opened her eyes, Brienne was walking through a meadow, her arms swinging by her sides. The sun was shining, and she could see the sea - blue and glistening - in the distance. She wondered whether this was Tarth. Taking in the pleasant scent of the flowers and the warm feel of the sunshine on her skin, Brienne did not think life could get any better.

But then she saw him.

Jaime was standing in the distance, hazy in the bright light. His golden hair and skin seemed glow ethereally, and when he turned around to smile at her, Brienne's heart leapt in her chest. Gods, it was much too early in their relationship, but Brienne thought she loved him.

_I'm pathetic that way._

Suddenly, her attention was snatched away from Jaime when she felt a hand on her shoulder, the fingers strong but delicate. Turning around, Brienne saw Sansa. Unlike Jaime and the scene around him, Sansa seemed visceral. Brienne could see every one of her features in sharp focus - from the blue eyes, to the red hair, to the perfectly straight nose - and her best friend appeared more real than anything else.

"You've got to stop talking yourself down," Sansa said firmly. "This will work out with Jaime if you want it too. He seems like a lovely guy and, as long as you _believe_ that and don't double guess yourself, everything will be alright."

Tears came to Brienne's eyes. "But I'm ugly, Sansa. Surely it can't be too long before he notices. Before he wants me to always wear a mask."

Sansa sighed, removing her hand from Brienne's shoulder and instead intertwining their fingers. "Love is not about wearing a mask. It is about truly being yourself. So be yourself, Brienne, and he will love you for it."

At the mention of _him,_ Brienne tore her eyes away from Sansa to look at Jaime once more. He was fully facing her now and when their gaze met - hot and heavy - he started to run towards her.

 _Gods, he's fast,_ thought Brienne.

Just before Jaime reached her, Brienne turned to look back at Sansa to thank her for her kind words, only to discover that she was gone. Her boyfriend's arms were around her and she was lost in his kisses well before Brienne had the chance to wonder where.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As ever, I would love to hear what you think of it in the form of a comment or kudos. Each one makes my heart sing :)


	8. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Jaime met Sansa and Pod, Brienne goes to meet Tyrion and Cersei...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for coming back. I hope you enjoy this chapter; I've been nervous about it for a while...

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

In the week after he met Sansa and Pod for the first time, Jaime hardly slept a wink. Unfortunately, it was not because he was fucking his new girlfriend all the live long day (although that _did_ happen quite a lot, so he wasn't complaining). No, it was mostly because Jaime was having the most vivid, terrifying nightmares of his life.

And every single one of them featured Sansa Stark.

On the first night straight after their dinner, when he had fallen asleep in Brienne's arms, Jaime had dreamt he was in an unfamiliar meadow, warm and bright. As he had watched a rather interesting nature documentary about Tarth only a few nights previously, he wondered whether he was conjuring up the island named for Brienne in his mind (because it did not seem right that _Brienne_ was named for an island. She had to come first). Looking along the stretch of grass, Jaime noticed he was nearing a cliff edge, and a long path ran along the rim of the island. In the distance he could see a tall blond figure; Jaime had to squint, because he could not quite make out if it was the Blue Knight or Brienne. It took some time, but he recognised her the moment he spotted the warm curve of her smile.

The Blue Knight never smiled at him like that, so it could only be Brienne.

He was planning on walking towards her, enveloping her in his arms and telling her that he had not felt like this in years... in forever, really... but then the scene entirely changed. The blue sky blackened, and lightning flashed across the clouds, accompanied by a loud percussion of thunder. Expecting rain, Jaime went to call out to Brienne before his voice was swallowed by sound. However, he never made it as the words were choked out of him by a hand - delicate and strong - wrapped around his throat.

"Stop. Right. Where. You. Are."

Jaime was unable to speak, unable to move, as quite suddenly, he was at the top of a skyscraper and Sansa Stark was dangling him over the edge, holding him by the neck.

"Hi Jaime," she said brightly.

"HHHhhhhhmmmm," he said in response, unable to actually say _hi_ given the whole being dangled off a skyscraper by his throat thing.

"So, it was so nice to meet you at dinner," Sansa cooed, batting her eyelashes at him in a way that would have been cutesy if she was not threatening him with death. "I'm glad we were finally able to catch up."

"Ccccccchhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaa," agreed Jaime.

She tilted her head and smiled at him, all sunshine and daisies, in spite of the fact she was strangling him. "You seem like a nice guy, good for Brienne, but I have to make sure you are going to treat her right. She is VERY SENSITIVE and deserves to be worshipped as a goddess. You are going to do that, aren't you?"

He tried to nod, but it was impossible given the way Sansa had him suspended.

"I SAID!" she repeated loudly. "YOU ARE GOING TO WORSHIP HER AS A GODDESS, AREN'T YOU?"

"Gggggrrrrrrrrrrr," Jaime managed to say, which was quite an achievement considering that there was no oxygen going to his brain.

Sansa clearly took that as a promise, as she gave him a sunny smile. "Good, that is wonderful to hear. Because if you _don't_ treat her like she deserves, I will spend every night for the rest of your life stalking your dreams, and I will not be afraid to go all Ramsay Bolton on you, okay?"

"UggghhhKkkkkuuuhhh..."

"It was lovely speaking to you Jaime," she grinned, before finally letting go of him with one flick of the wrist. While Jaime found it was a relief to be able to breathe once more, it was not quite so good to suddenly be plummeting fifty stories, Sansa's face getting smaller and smaller as he fell... faster... and faster... and faster...

Thankfully, he woke up in lieu of hitting the floor.

On the second night, it was much the same, although this time Sansa was dangling him by his feet over a tank of vicious piranhas. On the third, she challenged him to a swordfight. Jaime had hoped she would be fair, but soon discovered that while she was armed with a great sword, he had to defend himself with a HB pencil. On the fourth and fifth nights, Jaime was just running around the woods screaming while she jumped out from behind trees and shouted "BOO!" very loudly, and on the sixth he was tied up and blindfolded in a way that was scary and not sexy while she threatened to cut his nuts off if he hurt Brienne.

"How many times?" he shouted, desperate and tired. "I won't hurt her. I won't hurt her..."

"Seven times, Jaime," Sansa whispered. "Seven times."

On the seventh night, Jaime went to sleep after watching a Jon Snow documentary, fingering Brienne until she saw stars, and then told him he was the best boyfriend ever and she did not know how she had lived life without him. Feeling mighty proud of himself, he had curled up beside her in bed and carried that buoyant emotion into his dream. Brienne was waiting for him there too, lying naked in the moonlight.

"Come here, sweetheart," she whispered. "I missed you."

"We only fell asleep a minute ago."

She blushed, cherry-red. "I know, but I've still missed you."

Jaime's heart skipped a beat; Brienne really could be so ridiculously soft sometimes. Wanting to soothe her, he slipped into bed beside her, determined to hold her in his arms. Brienne had other ideas, however, and rolled him on top of her, her legs falling open as she did so.

"Jaime," she breathed as he began to touch her where she wanted him to. "Jaime, oh... _yes..._ Jaime..."

Continuing his work, Jaime buried his face in her neck, his fingers moving faster and faster as she continued to beg him.

"Oh, Jaime... _please, please..."_

Unable to separate the beauty of her climb from his own, Jaime's hips moved restlessly as he continued to try and please her.

"Wench. Come for me. Come for me."

Jaime was so close - so, _so_ close - that he almost screamed in frustration when Sansa swung the door open, sending a shaft of light spilling across the bed.

"AHH!" she exclaimed, horrified. "Gods, I'm sorry. It is so difficult to find my way around this place."

Wanting to forget all about Sansa and concentrate on Brienne, Jaime turned back to his girlfriend, needing to give her pleasure. However, to his horror, he discovered Brienne was no longer there. Instead, he was just lying naked in the bed, alone, with Sansa watching him with judgemental eyes.

Tired and annoyed of this constant intrusion, Jaime got out of bed, not caring that he was butt naked. Sansa's eyes went very, very wide. "What are you staring at?" he said accusatorily. "What do you want from me?"

"I... I... I..."

Jaime did not understand. Why did Sansa keep appearing in his dreams? Ever since the Aerys incident years before, Jaime had become an island which no man could ever conquer. Yet even he was weak, as his father would call it. Desiring someone to rest in the shade with him, Brienne was the first person Jaime had let visit in so long. That he had her and she had him made Jaime so happy he wanted to sing, but at the same time he could not help but worry that he would let her down, that he would not be good enough.

Why his subconscious had decided to put this fear into Sansa Stark's mouth, Jaime would never know.

"I won't hurt her," he declared, wanting to put his fears to bed. "I want this to work... I _feel_ like this will work. So even though I am a Lannister... even though I may have done bad things, I know I can make Brienne happy."

Sansa looked at him suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

The answer was surprisingly simple. "Because I think we are perfect for each other."

When Jaime had first began to speak, Sansa's face had been as harsh and taunting as every other time he had seen her in his dreams. As he revealed his true feelings, however, her eyes became soft.

"You won't hurt her?"

"Of course I won't," Jaime said, flattening his palm against his chest over his heart. "Not intentionally, at least, because I want to make something beautiful."

_Something beautiful..._

Jaime's eyes fluttered open. It was still dark out, so Brienne's head was resting on his chest, her arm wrapped languidly around his waist. The only sounds that punctuated the silence were her contented little snores, and it was so sweet that his chest ached.

_It won't be too hard,_ he thought, _to make something good with her._

_I can be good with her._

Closing his eyes, Jaime went back to sleep, and was relieved to discover that Sansa Stark did not come with him.

* * *

In return for meeting Sansa and Pod, Jaime and Brienne decided it was only fair that she meet Cersei and Tyrion. Even though he had warned her they were very, _very_ weird, Brienne had just shaken her head and laughed.

"I've met you. Surely they can't be _that_ weird."

Consequently, Jaime arranged a date. The Lannisport Lions were playing the King's Landing Kingsmenin the final of the Westerosi Cup on Sunday after and, as Tywin Lannister sponsored the Lions, his three children were obliged to support them. Normally for a big game, the Sibling Squad would get together to have a takeaway pizza and a few beers, but this time Cersei was preparing to bake cakes on top of the usual festivities.

"Are you planning on poisoning all of us?" Tyrion had asked, teasingly.

Cersei narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, that was my plan all along, to murder you with football themed cupcakes."

"Good," snorted Tyrion, "glad to know."

Given that they were planning quite a bash for the game and his siblings were most likely about to be washed away by preparations, Jaime cleared his throat in preparation for asking a question. He knew he wouldn't get another chance otherwise.

"Guys... err... can I ask you something?"

"Sure," smiled Tyrion. "We are not father."

As Tyrion and Cersei both gazed at him with matching amused looks, it took Jaime a few seconds to conjure up the courage for what he wanted to say. "Can I bring Brienne?"

"Brienne?" said Tyrion, blinking confusedly. "As in... _your girlfriend?_ Bring your girlfriend to the party? _"_

"Yes, as in my girlfriend," huffed Jaime, folding his arms defensively across his chest. "Brienne. My girlfriend."

" _Oooooooooooooooooooh!_ " cooed Tyrion and Cersei as one, which caused Jaime to raise a dismissive hand at them.

"Come on, is it that unreasonable to want to bring my girlfriend to meet my brother and sister?"

"No," conceded Cersei, "we are just surprised, that's all. You haven't had a girlfriend in _years_."

Tyrion let out an amused chuckle. "And in that time, Cersei has had half of King's Landing."

Not taking her eyes off Jaime, Cersei lobbed a pillow at Tyrion's head. He was not quick enough to avoid it. "We do want to meet her," she declared, as Tyrion began rubbing his head. "I for one am intrigued to meet the kind of woman who could tear the Kingslayer's attention away from the Blue Knight."

Jaime tried not to roll his eyes, but it was hard. "How many times? I am _not_ into the Blue Knight."

"Yes you are," said Cersei and Tyrion in unison, closing ranks.

" _Oooh,_ she's got such pretty eyes," said Tyrion in a stupid falsetto.

Cersei chuckled before adding, "and _oooh_ she's so toned."

"Alright," sighed Jaime, holding his hands up in defeat. "But we are not talking about the Blue Knight here. We are talking my girlfriend, Brienne, and whether she can come to the sodding game."

"And we told you, she can come," said Cersei rolling her eyes.

"As long as she brings dip," grinned Tyrion.

Once Jaime had Cersei and Tyrion's permission for Brienne to attend the game, he texted her to let her know.

_Brienne:_ Bring some dip? What kind of dip?

_Jaime:_ Don't worry about it, I think Tyrion was just being facetious.

_Brienne:_ 😵

_Jaime:_ What?

_Brienne:_ I didn't know my snuggle bunny knew such long words!

_Jaime:_ I'm a man of many talents 👅

_Brienne:_ That is _not_ one of your talents!!!

_Jaime:_ Who are you kidding? You weren't complaining last night! 🔥

_Brienne:_ Back to the DIP...!!!

_Jaime_ : Bring some dip or crisps or something, as a peace offering. And then later we can 👅

_Brienne:_ I hate you sometimes!

_Jaime:_ No you don't! 🥰

It was then just a waiting game. Jaime and Brienne met up as many times as they could in the week that followed - to go to a late night showing of a classic film _Brave Danny Flint,_ to go out and try and new Summer Islander place on the Blackwater, and to fuck - but when it came to Sunday morning, Jaime discovered that Brienne could not come and meet him for their pre-Cersei and Tyrion catch-up.

_Jaime:_ What is the matter?

_Brienne:_ It's just Pod. He's got some crazy family stuff going on. But I will definitely be back for the game this afternoon. Do you want to text me Tyrion's address and I'll meet you there?

Jaime did as she asked, but in truth he had been looking forward to spending some time with Brienne before they had to be round at Tyrion's. He had been thinking about how they could try some new things sexually, and that needed Brienne to be in the same room as him. Consequently, given her absence, Jaime did not bother to get dressed that morning, and just mooched around in his pyjamas, ate a bowl of cereal, and watched the TV.

"I am here outside the _Crossroads Inn_ in Flea Bottom, where a situation is slowly unfurling," declared Jeyne Poole of the 24 Hour News Channel. "Rorge and Biter, two former members of the Brave Companions, have just stormed the Inn, which is owned by sisters Jeyne and Willow Heddle."

_Bastards,_ thought Jaime. While people said the Sibling Squad were the worst supervillain group in the city, Jaime knew that was a lie. He, Tyrion, and Cersei never hurt anyone; they just _threatened_ to hurt people, using the fear of their powers to bluff people. It was amazing how terrified everyone was of the prospect of becoming Cersei's sex slave, after all. On the other hand, the Brave Companions were just evil. They took pleasure in the the pain and despair they caused. In contrast, Jaime had to go away inside in order not to see the blood soaking his hands.

"It is unknown why Rorge and Biter have targeted this establishment, but it is likely to do with the fact that the _Crossroads Inn_ is a popular... wait... is that the Blue Knight?"

There was no a herald of trumpets sounding her arrival - even though Jaime thought there should be - but there was no mistaking the Blue Knight. Amazonian, powerful, and weirdly beautiful, she marched onto the screen behind Jeyne, seemingly giving no thought at all to the press pack that was watching her like a gaggle of hungry hyenas.

"Blue Knight!" called out Jeyne Poole, scrabbling forward. "Can you tell us what is going on?"

Not having the time to waste, the Blue Knight gave the journalist a passing glance. "There are people to save, Jeyne. I will speak to you later."

_Oh gods, she's so awesome,_ thought Jaime, putting down his bowl of cereal so he could watch the Blue Knight walk into the Inn, her cape blowing in the breeze behind her. To Jaime, she looked like some sort of goddess; of love, of power, of sex.

At the Blue Knight's dismissal, Jeyne did not say anything other than a quick command to her camera man to zoom in on the _Crossroads Inn's_ front door. He did as she commanded, and the sound guy got closer too, meaning the TV audience could just about hear the muffled thumps and the sounds of smashed glass going on inside.

"No chance! No choice!" shouted the Blue Knight suddenly, before there was another crash that sounded suspiciously like someone hitting the deck.

"Do you think she's winning, Harwin?" whispered Jeyne Poole to her cameraman.

The camera moved when Harwin shrugged. "I don't know, but it sounds positive... doesn't it?"

There were a few more minutes of _ahhs, ooohs,_ "you bastards!", and "kick him in the nuts!" before the Blue Knight eventually emerged from the _Crossroads Inn_ with two women in tow - who Jaime assumed must be Jeyne and Willow Heddle - looking thoroughly pleased with herself.

"Everything is under control," she declared firmly. "Rorge and Biter have been detained and I have sent for the City Guard. There is nothing more to see here."

In spite of the fact that the Blue Knight was clearly in no mood for talking, Jeyne Poole shoved a microphone in her face. "Miss Blue Knight, can you tell us what happened inside?"

"It was a simple robbery, nothing more. Jeyne and Willow helped me subdue the men, so you may want to talk to them. I have places to be."

"Are there more innocents that need to be saving?" asked Jeyne Poole, nearly putting the microphone up the Blue Knight's nose.

King's Landing's most famous superhero shook her head. "Not today. Underneath this suit, I am like most other people. I need to go home and visit friends and family. So, if you don't mind, Jeyne, I must be on my way."

Although Jeyne Poole attempted to ask the Blue Knight more, she walked out of shot back into her civilian life. Although it was obvious that she did not like the centre of attention or to bask in the limelight, Jaime could not help but feel disappointed. Just seeing her made a warm heat pool in his belly.

_Gods, she's so cool,_ he thought. _And sexy._

* * *

Yet however cool and sexy the Blue Knight was, she had nothing on Jaime's girlfriend, who was waiting outside Tyrion's flat for him wearing a Lannisport Lions shirt later that afternoon, just as they had agreed. As Brienne was Brienne, she had also brought a selection of dips - Sour Cream and Chive, Onion and Garlic, Thousand Island, and Tzatziki - and chunks of celery, cucumber, and carrots that she had meticulously cut up to dip into it.

"I wanted to bring _something,_ " she confessed nervously after Jaime had given her a _hello_ kiss. "And you said Cersei was making cake, and that we were ordering pizza, so I wanted to offer something maybe a little healthier so we could all have a break from the food coma if we wanted..."

Sensing her nerves were about to overwhelm her, Jaime silenced her with yet another kiss, then pulled away and looked deeply into her perfect blue eyes.

"It is great. They'll love it."

Somehow, her blue eyes got even wider. "You think?"

"I know," Jaime grinned, before kissing her again. This one was long and sweet, meaning her lips were a little swollen when they finished. "By the way, I love this Lannisport Lions shirt you've got on."

Blushing in such a way to match her sports shirt, Brienne smiled at him. "Thanks."

"I might have to have you in it later."

"You are so bad," she teased. "But I suppose I can allow it. I am a Sapphires of Tarth fan, really, so I don't mind you defiling me while I'm wearing this."

"I never defile you," said Jaime, taking her free hand. "What we do is good... it feels right."

That just made her blush even harder. "I know, Jaime. I know."

With everything was sorted on the chips and dip front, Jaime finally knocked on the door, Brienne continuing to look at little nervous beside him.

"Don't worry," he said gently, trying to reassure her. "Everything will be fine... everything..."

"BRIENNE!" shouted Tyrion, the second he opened the door. "My gods, you are tall. Jaime said you were tall, but there's tall and there is _tall..._ okay, Jaime, stop looking at me like that! Come in! Come in!" Jaime made way for the slightly dazed Brienne to enter the downstairs flat before him, allowed Tyrion the space to continue to talk and talk as if this was the most exciting thing to ever happen to him since he arrived on Planetos. "You know, Jaime hasn't brought anyone to meet us since... I don't know when... so it is so great to meet you at last, because Jaime has been going on and on about you. Do you want a drink? A beer? A wine?"

"Errm...do you have any Cola?" Brienne asked, still a little nervous.

"Sure, sure!" smiled Tyrion, "I have like fifteen flavours. Why don't you come through to the kitchen and I'll show you?"

With Tyrion half buried in the mini-fridge looking for Cola, Brienne leaned into Jaime and whispered in his ear. "You didn't tell me that Tyrion was a dwarf."

"Didn't I?" replied Jaime, raising his eyebrows in surprise. When Brienne shook her head, Jaime just shrugged. "Oh, well... that's not what I see when I look at him. I just see my brother. Does it... bother you?"

"No," said Brienne, pecking him on the cheek. "I was just surprised you didn't mention it. I was worried you were ashamed or something to tell me, and I wouldn't want that..."

Jaime couldn't help but feel all bubbly inside. "Not ashamed. I'm not ashamed to tell you anything."

_Except the whole Kingslayer thing,_ a small voice murmured.

"Good," replied Brienne, smiling. "I'm so glad."

Once Tyrion had eventually managed to locate several cans of Vanilla Cola that Brienne said she would like, the three of them went out to the lounge to put Brienne's dips on the table. Cersei was already in there, building a pyramid with her cupcakes. She stopped when she spotted Brienne.

"At last!" she cried, "I thought we were never going to meet!"

Cersei being Cersei, she walked forward and started kissing Brienne on each cheek four-hundred times, which Jaime's girlfriend was clearly not anticipating. When Cersei finally stopped, Brienne just smiled at her tentatively. "I've been looking forward to meeting you too. Jaime didn't tell me you were so pretty."

Waving a good natured hand at her, Cersei said, "oh, I have superpowers."

"You do?"

"Yes," replied Cersei. "It is called killer eyebrow game and a push-up bra."

With the introductions done, Jaime found that he could settle down on the sofa next to Brienne, while Tyrion and Cersei wove conversations around her.

"Where do you work?" asked Tyrion.

"Stag Advertising," replied Brienne. "It is an alright job and pays the bills."

"Better than working at LannCorp, I assure you," replied Tyrion breezily. "You have to sell your soul."

"Yes, Jaime told me your father was a bit... _much."_

" _A bit much_ might be the understatement of the century," declared Cersei. "Everything has to be just as he wants it. He's basically a bonafide villain. And he has a Persian Cat named after our dead mother."

Brienne looked horrified. "He does?"

"Yeah, he's a bit mad that way."

Mulling on Tywin Lannister's seeming insanity, it took Brienne some time to speak. "Well, it is good that you all have each other. Safety in numbers, right?"

Perhaps it was Brienne's positive tone, or the fact that her blue eyes could pull you in and make you blissful enough to let her steal your last coins, that Tyrion gazed at her searchingly. "Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"Of course," smiled Brienne shyly. "Unless you've ever been to Tarth."

As Tyrion had never been to Tarth, the conversation petered off there and moved onto ordering pizza. Once they had settled on two large pepperonis, a veggie supreme, and a side of chips, Cersei rang _Pia's Pizzeria,_ and they were informed that their food was on the way. With everything prepared, it was time for the game to start.

"We've got to win this," declared Tyrion, "or father will be on our cases for weeks."

In spite of Tyrion's hope, the first half was a little frustrating, with only the Lions' striker Addam Marbrand looking like he had any life in the game, so it was still nil-nil by half time. Thinking the second half might be more exciting if they were all under the influence of alcohol, Jaime got to his feet and pointed to Cersei, Tyrion, and Brienne each in turn.

"Does anyone want some beer?"

"I'm okay," said Cersei, waving her bottle of wine. "I have my drink of choice."

"And I'm happy with my Cola," smiled Brienne.

Nodding at both of them, Jaime made to go to the kitchen, but found himself accompanied by Tyrion. "I'll come with you. I can help you carry things."

"I thought you previously said you only had little hands," teased Jaime, remembering how Tyrion had reacted to holding Dragonbinder.

Tyrion nudged him. "I can carry a bloody beer, Jaime, for gods sake."

Smiling mischievously at his brother, Jaime went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for his favourite brand of beer. To Jaime's surprise, once the kitchen door was closed, Tyrion did not make any moves to help, but instead just stared at him, his mismatched eyes bright.

"What are you smirking at?" asked Jaime, while rooting around for a beer.

Tyrion looked at his brother pointedly. "Brienne seems _nice_..."

"She's more than nice," Jaime insisted, not meeting Tyrion's eye. "She's _special_. I think she may be the One."

"Oh gods, you are such drip," replied Tyrion, rolling his eyes. "You've known the girl five minutes and you can already hear wedding bells."

Jaime could not help but blush; with siblings like Tyrion and Cersei, he had been suppressing his romantic side for years. "What is wrong with wanting to believe that good things can happen? That things will work out?"

"Who are you and what have you done to Jaime?" asked Tyrion in mock seriousness. "You are literally the biggest cynic you have ever met, and now you are skipping along like the heroine of the Disney version of _Florian and Jonquil_ just because you are in love."

Jaime wanted to deny that he was in love - it would crush Tyrion's point - but he could not quite bring himself to do so. "Look, things are going well between Brienne and me. Is that so bad?"

"No," replied Tyrion, his smile growing bigger and bigger with every passing second. It made Jaime feel quite concerned. "But I have some suspicions as to why it is going so well."

At Tyrion's cryptic statement, Jaime only grew confused. "What in Seven Hells are you talking about?"

Tyrion smirked as he took one of the beers that Jaime had just found from his outstretched hand. "I am talking about Brienne. If you squint, she's the absolute spit of the Blue Knight and we all know you have a _big thing_ for the Blue Knight."

Jaime nearly dropped his beer.

"Brienne's not the Blue Knight!"

"Yes she _is_ ," replied Tyrion nonchalantly, stealing the bottle opener so he could crack open his beer. "She's a literal six foot giant built of solid muscle, who looks like she could break you in half if she shakes your hand, who also happens to be blonde. Please tell me you have at least _considered_ the possibility that she might be the Blue Knight."

Tyrion was looking at Jaime so smugly, that he could do nothing but steal the bottle opener back and open his own beer, while search for some way to answer his brother. "Look, Brienne might be tall, but there is no _way_ she's the Blue Knight!"

"What evidence do you have of that?" asked Tyrion, taking a sip of his beer.

Jaime thought about it.

"Well, for one thing, the Blue Knight wants to rip my balls off."

Tyrion snorted. "And you are saying Brienne doesn't?"

"Brienne doesn't!" declared Jaime whole-heartedly. "In fact, she has _much_ friendlier intentions towards my balls, thanks very much. And I know Brienne... there's just no way that she and the Blue Knight are the same person. Brienne is sweet and caring and, to be honest, a little bit nervous. Skittish. The Blue Knight is just... _overwhelming and t_ _errifying._ They are not alike in the slightest!"

Although Tyrion still looked a little amused, at last it seemed as if he was finally persuaded, as he gave Jaime a considered nod and took a sip of his beer. "Well, if you are sure..."

"I _am_ sure. I know my girlfriend and I know my arch-nemesis, and they are not in the least bit similar."

Finally sensing that this conversation was getting on Jaime's wick, he slapped him on the back and gestured to the door that lead back out to the living room. "Come on then, bro. Let's go and watch the rest of the game."

Wanting to end this conversation, Jaime followed Tyrion back out into the lounge, where they discovered Cersei and Brienne discussing the merits of the phrase _All Men Are Trash._ With his heart still hammering in his chest, Jaime sat down next to Brienne and slung an arm around her shoulders once more, pulling her close.

"Hey," she murmured, "are you alright? You look a bit tense."

"Nah, it's nothing to worry about," Jaime replied, trying to smile. "Why don't we just watch the game?"

In spite of the fact Brienne still looked a little concerned, she rested her head against his shoulder and started to watch the game. In some ways, Jaime found that gesture soothing, as she was warm, close, and he could smell the comforting scent of her shampoo. However, as the game went on, Jaime found he could barely concentrate because he was thinking about what Tyrion said.

_Brienne can't be the Blue Knight... can she?_

* * *

In the end, the Lannisport Lions thrashed the King's Landing Kingsmen to such a degree that Cersei and Tyrion had got super drunk and started singing _The Rains of Castamere._ Brienne had started to look a little uncomfortable about that - it was a song about ancient murders, after all - so Jaime gave her a quick kiss and then started whispering in her ear.

"Do you want to head out soon? Cersei and Tyrion will probably get a bit rowdy from this point onwards."

She smiled at him sweetly, in the way that only Brienne could. "We don't have to... if you want to stay."

"Believe me, I can come and hang out with my drunken brother and sister any day of the week," Jaime smiled, reached out to hold her hand. "But if you want to go back to yours or even mine to do a bit of _hanging out_ just the way we like to, then I just thought you should know I am really up for that."

At that slightly risqué suggestion, Brienne blushed very blotchily but very prettily, and squeezed his hand in response. "I would really like that too."

"Let's get going then," he smiled.

The goodbyes were effusive and over-the-top, but that was entirely a product of the fact that Cersei and Tyrion were a little drunk, which only succeeded in making Brienne smile.

"I was lovely to meet you _at last,_ " slurred Cersei. "We should arrange something else."

"Yes, that would be nice," replied Brienne, blushing sweetly.

"Goodbye Blue Knight!" chirped Tyrion from his position on the sofa. "I'm glad we met."

Although Jaime had been expecting Brienne to either laugh that off or look confused, he had not been anticipating that she would nearly trip over and go as white as a sheet. "The Blue Knight?" she stammered. "Why did you call me the Blue Knight?"

As he was nearly comatose on the sofa, Tyrion did not give her a full answer, but just started giggling. "Oh... you are tall and blonde... and with Jaime... and Jaime _loves_ the Blue Knight... so you are _his_ Blue Knight."

There was something so absurdly romantic about that statement that Jaime wondered if he could borrow it from Tyrion. Brienne seemed to like it, after all, as all the colour came back to her cheeks.

"Yes... well... I suppose we are a little similar."

"Yes you are," said Jaime, wrapping his arm around Brienne's waist in an effort to stave off horrible, horrible thoughts. "So come on, my Blue Knight, let me take you home."

After Brienne let Cersei kiss her on the cheeks four hundred and seventy times, Jaime eventually managed to get Brienne outside. They ordered a taxi back to Evenfall Manor, which looked like a star in the early evening light.

"Is Pod in?" asked Jaime as they reached the front door.

"I would imagine so," replied Brienne, smiling gently. "He's a bit of a homebody."

"Is everything alright with his family?"

Brienne furrowed her brow. "His family?"

"Yeah, you said that you couldn't meet me this morning because of some massive drama with Pod's family."

"Oh yeah," said Brienne, the sun of realisation dawning in her eyes. "It was something do with his cousin... Ilyn something... I don't know. Anyway, it's all fine now. Shall we go inside?"

Following her lead, Jaime entered the old Manor House. He knew the intention was for them to go back to Brienne's room and fuck, so he was a little irritated when Pod appeared from one of the side rooms to waylay them.

"Good evening Miss Tarth, Mr Lannister. I hope you had a good day."

"Yes Pod," said Brienne quickly, pulling Jaime by the hand. "I'm sorry but I..."

"How's your cousin Ilyn?" asked Jaime, wanting to make sure everything was settled before he got Brienne back to her room. "Brienne said there has been some problems."

Pod looked at him with blank surprise. "Has there? I mean I..."

If Jaime had been especially interested in hearing the story about Pod's cousin, he may have been disappointed at the way Brienne near rugby tackled Pod in an effort to push him into the room behind him.

"Sorry Jaime, I just need to talk to Pod for a second. Can you go and wait up in my room for me?"

Although that was a bit of a surprise - he thought Brienne had been quite excited at the prospect of getting him alone - Jaime nodded and let Brienne wrestle Pod into the side room, before going up the stairs alone. As he moved away from them, he could hear the frantic whispering, but he did not try to eavesdrop; he wasn't especially interested in Ilyn Payne, after all.

When Jaime finally arrived in Brienne's bedroom, he was in for a bit of a shock. It was normally so neat and well-organised that he felt a little reticent lying on the bed or accidentally moving anything. Now, however, it was in a state of slight disarray. It was clear that when leaving for Tyrion's earlier, she had been in a bit of a rush; there were clothes on the floor, her dressing table was a mess, and she had forgotten to shut one of her windows. Not knowing how long Brienne would be with Pod, Jaime decided to be helpful. There was a little hamper in the corner of the room where she put her clothes that needed to be washed, so he started gathering up the discarded clothes to put away.

A denim jacket... one half of a pair of socks... an old band t-shirt...

A blue supersuit with a yellow sun on it, made to go under the Blue Knight's armour.

_What in Seven Hells?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think? I would love to hear from you in a lovely comment or kudos. They help me know I am on the right track! Thanks for reading :)


	9. Intimate Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne and Jaime have an important conversation after his discovery...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks so much for coming back. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it was a tough one to write, so please consider leaving comments and kudos. I love them so much :)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

"So, can you repeat that for me, Pod?"

The butler sighed, exasperated that she was treating him like a child.

"My cousin Ilyn was rushed to hospital after a minor car accident. He is alright and is back home now, but I needed you to come with me for emotional support. You were definitely not fighting crime as your alter-ego, the Blue Knight. You were helping me."

"Brilliant," smiled Brienne, glad the cover story was well set up. "So, if Jaime asks you what I was doing earlier today, that is your answer, Okay?"

"Okay, Miss Brienne," replied Pod, taking a firm tone with her, "but I really do think you are going to have to start considering how you are going to tell him the truth, if your relationship is as serious as you think it is."

At that cutting observation, Brienne dropped her eyes to the floor. Everything was going so perfectly with Jaime, but it was making her consider two things; firstly, the prospect that he genuinely was her One and Only, and that they were in this for the long game (which was hella terrifying), and secondly that due to that fact, she would eventually have to tell him who she was. In spite of what she felt for Jaime, the thought of coming out with her deepest secret was scary, not only because it would make him see in a different light, but because there was the possibility it would put him in danger. No doubt the Kingslayer would love getting hold of her beloved boyfriend and to hurt him if there was a chance that he could find out the Blue Knight's true identity through his suffering. That horrible thought gave her nightmares and made her feel even less like telling Jaime the truth.

Brienne looked at Pod sadly. "I _know_ I have to tell him... just not yet. I'm not ready and I don't even know if he's ready to hear something like that. It would ruin the honeymoon period. And there are so many things to think about..."

"Well, you will _have_ to think about them," said Pod seriously. "You are the Blue Knight. You will have to decide not only whether you can trust Jaime Lannister with your secret, but with the safety of King's Landing. You are the city's protector, and if he doesn't appreciate that..."

"I know, I know," Brienne replied, feeling a little defeated. If she was just a normal woman, everything would be going wonderfully with Jaime, but because she was the Blue Knight it was so much harder. Every single day she felt the clouds encroaching. Could she tell him? How would he react? Was she ready to have her heart broken if he could not cope with truth? "I'll think about it, Pod. I promise."

After Pod's mini-lecture, Brienne began to walk back to her bedroom where she knew Jaime was waiting for her. Maybe he would wrap her up in his kisses and cuddles, and she could forget for a moment that she lived an extraordinary life, and if he wanted to be part of it, he would have to accept the truth of who she was.

_Will he love me when I take off my mask?_

Still mulling over those thoughts when she arrived at her bedroom, it took Brienne a few moments to actually compute what Jaime was doing. She found him sitting on the edge of her bed, his elbows resting on his knees, staring down at a piece of flimsy blue material that he held in his hand. When Brienne realised what it was, she nearly fainted.

 _My super suit,_ she screamed internally. _Oh gods, no! He's seen my super suit!_

When she had come back from fighting Rorge and Biter, she had been in a hurry to get around to Jaime's, so had casually thrown it on the floor.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Perhaps hearing her very loud internal monologue, Jaime looked up at her, confusion in his eyes. "What is this?" he asked, his tone more serious than she had ever heard it. At his uncertain expression, Brienne curled in on herself. How could she have ever considered telling him the truth this early? Jaime would surely be horrified that he kept this from him, that she led him into something he did not want, that she...

"Oh, that's my super suit," she said, trying to sound casual.

"Your super suit?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"Why do you have a super suit?" Jaiime asked, raising an eyebrow at her that could indicate annoyance or an attempt to be sultry depending on the way she looked at him.

Given how defensive she felt, Brienne decided to play stupid, so she could at least give herself time to come up with something plausible. "You know, just a bit of fun..."

"A bit of fun?" spluttered Jaime, looking halfway between humoured and confused, "because I am currently trying to think of another explanation for you having the Blue Knight's super suit other than you actually _being_ the Blue Knight. Tyrion said it was likely; you are both tall, and toned, and blonde..."

"You just have a type," mumbled Brienne, trying to find an excuse.

Jaime let out a nervous laugh. "So you are saying you are _not_ the Blue Knight?"

Knowing that attack was the best form of defence (or at least, that was what she hoped), Brienne went on the offensive at about four hundred miles an hour. "Of _course_ I am not the Blue Knight! What a ridiculous thing to say! Has Tyrion ever seen her on the TV? She and I look _nothing_ alike! I only have that super suit as fancy dress; Renly at work had a party last year and I decided to go to as the Blue Knight _as a joke_ because I am tall, not because I actually am the Blue Knight because that would just be... be... ridiculous! If you think about it, there is nothing that makes less sense than me being the Blue Knight. Nothing at all! Do you honestly think the Blue Knight is a history loving nerd called Brienne Tarth who works in advertising? That is like saying Flower Power works in retail, or the Kraken collects stamps in his spare time, or the Kingslayer is an utter nerd when everyone isn't looking."

A bit overcome by the ferocity of her answer, Jaime's eyes went very wide and he declined taking her head on. "The Kingslayer _might_ be a nerd when everyone isn't looking, how do you know?"

"Because I've seen him on TV, alright?" said Brienne, snapping to cover up her deep vulnerability. "He's all quips and jawline and pure unbridled masculinity. There's no way he is going to be spending his weekend at castle ruins like you and I do. He's going to be doing something cool; like going to gigs or... doing drugs, I don't know. Whatever cool people do."

Brienne had expected Jaime to concede to that point, but instead his eyes went even wider. "You think the Kingslayer is all _quips and jawline and pure unbridled masculinity?"_

 _Oh shit,_ thought Brienne. _It is so tactless to tell your boyfriend about your ill-advised crush on the Kingslayer, even if you are trying to get him off the topic of the Blue Knight._

Wilting under Jaime's incredulous stare, Brienne had no choice but to answer him, red-faced and embarrassed. "Yeah, so what? We are all allowed a weird crush from time to time. I know your thing about the Blue Knight, don't forget."

"Yeah," conceded Jaime, starting to blush in order to match hers, "but the Blue Knight is powerful, strong, good, and sexy. The Kingslayer..."

"Looks really awesome in that skin-tight suit," admitted Brienne, her face growing hot. She thanked all the gods that she was only confessing this to Jaime and not that smug arsehole himself. "Anyway, I think we're getting off the point here. I am _not_ the Blue Knight; I just happen to have a Blue Knight costume. I don't even have the armour to go with it!"

"You don't?" replied Jaime, sounding disappointed.

"No! Of course I don't!" she lied, knowing that admitting she did would expose her entirely. "Do you know how expensive real armour...? Hang on, are you _disappointed_ I don't have the armour?"

Abashed, Jaime put the super suit down on the bed and got to his feet, almost trying to make himself look bigger. "Well, it would complete the look."

"What do you mean?" asked Brienne, staring at him suspiciously.

At her tentative tone, Jaime finally found the courage to lift his eyes from the ground and look at her, his cheeks aflame. "Well... when you dress up as the Blue Knight for me... the armour will complete the look."

"When I... dress up for you?" stammered Brienne, flushing the same deep red as him. "I... I... I... didn't realise we could talk about stuff like that."

Jaime gave her a lopsided smile. "If I can't talk about my sexual fantasies with you, who else can I talk to them about?"

 _Sexual fantasies,_ mused Brienne. _Jaime has..._ sexual fantasies _about the Blue Knight? Oh gods!_

"That's a good point," she mumbled, beginning to wring her hands nervously. She did not know why she was blushing; if she really thought about it, that Jaime had fantasies about her alter-ego made her feel quite warm. Suddenly, she felt Jaime's fingers on hers, pulling her hand into his. Her heart started beating faster at she looked up from the floor and gazed into his green eyes. His expression was both reassuring and intense.

"Would that be something you would be interested in?" asked Jaime. "A little bit of roleplay, I mean."

In all her life, Brienne had never been asked such a bold question. Men didn't care to ask her about what she liked in bed; they would make jibes, assume she was into bestiality, but never did they want to know what she preferred. Jaime was different. Jaime was love and care personified.

Brienne tried to search for the right words. "I might be interested in _that_... it depends."

"On what?"

"What you would be doing in this roleplay?" she said, beginning to worry at her lip when she felt her nerves overcome her once more.

Jaime smiled teasingly and squeezed her hand. "I'll do whatever you want. I'll be a civilian the Blue Knight has come to save, or a police officer you take for a quickie at the station. I'll get the costume to make you feel comfortable; we can both look ridiculous together. Maybe I can get a police outfit online..."

"I don't want you to get a police outfit."

Jaime looked vaguely disappointed. "Oh? Are you not into the roleplay idea then?"

"No, it is not that," replied Brienne. She took a deep breath for courage, before explaining to him what she really desired. "I think I want to do the roleplaying, but I just don't think you should be a civilian or a policeman... I think you should be the Kingslayer."

Jaime's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. "The Kingslayer?"

"Well... yeah. The Kingslayer is the Blue Knight's arch-nemesis, but I think they've always had a certain amount of... chemistry. If I was the Blue Knight and you were the Kingslayer, maybe we could wrestle for a bit, then I could get on top of you and arrest you and we could..."

"Fuck?"

Brienne let out a nervous laugh. "Well... yeah."

Giving her a smile that matched his embarrassed blush, Jaime pulled Brienne close to him and kissed her. Jaime's kisses were always wonderful, but this time she couldn't help but feel a different emotion. A wave of relief hit her; she had got away with it. In exchange for the promise of a bit of roleplay, Jaime had totally put away the idea that his girlfriend might _actually_ be the Blue Knight.

 _Thank the gods,_ thought Brienne.

When they finally broke apart, Jaime no longer looked embarrassed, but excited. "We will have to work this all out before we start. Do you want to get the handcuffs or shall I?"

"There will be handcuffs?" asked Brienne incredulously.

"Only if you want," replied Jaime quickly, in an effort to reassure her. "It is just... if the Blue Knight is arresting the Kingslayer, she might need the equipment to do it."

The thought of Jaime handcuffed to their bed entirely at her pleasure was a bit too much for Brienne, so she started blushing again. "I wouldn't even know where to get handcuffs..."

"I'll buy them then," smiled Jaime, taking her hands in his. "I will need to get my Kingslayer suit from somewhere as well, so maybe some fancy dress shop can do a job lot online. Your place or mine?"

"Mine. It will make me feel less nervous."

"Sure," Jaime smiled, before giving her a quick peck on the lips. "Although... do we want to do some kind of scene? Like I'm meant to be stealing something from your house? And then you catch me and arrest me?"

Brienne nodded. "That sounds fun. Maybe I can give you a key to my house so you can get things prepared first."

Jaime's grin - already wide - became positively euphoric at that. "And you can have a key to my flat, just so we are even."

"Deal," Brienne beamed, before stealing another kiss from him.

They didn't talk for a few moments because of said kissing, but when Jaime found the strength to pull away, he was armed with one more question. "Is there anything else that would make this easier for you? Anything else you would like."

Brienne thought about it briefly, but the answer came to her quickly. "Can I ask that we don't wear masks?"

"No masks?" replied Jaime, surprised. "Why is that?"

"Because, even though we will be roleplaying..." Brienne began, trying to find the right words to explain, "I want to know it is you under that super suit, Jaime. I always want to know it is you."

That inspired Jaime to smile at her again and it was so full of sunlight and stars that Brienne had no choice but to pull him in for another kiss.

* * *

Although she and Jaime had had a fairly extensive conversation outlining the parameters of their foray into roleplay, once all the details were decided, they did not actually talk about it. Jaime had to get his super suit and the handcuffs, after all. Instead, they just carried on as normal; spending some nights at his, some at hers, going for a tour of the tunnels under the Red Keep at the weekend, discussing which of the Free Cities they wanted to go on their first holiday to. Really, the whole thing felt very, very normal.

There was only one problem.

Facing the _real_ Kingslayer while knowing she had asked her flesh-and-blood boyfriend to dress up as him.

On one of the few evenings that Brienne and Jaime did not spend together (because he was going out with Tyrion and Cersei), Pod came up to Brienne’s room while she was trying to watch yet another Jon Snow documentary to tell her some news.

"Brienne, I've just got an alert pertaining to the location of the Sibling Squad."

She could not help but roll her eyes. "What the hell are they up to now? Don't they know that Jon Snow is busy telling me about the lost city of Yeen?"

"I'm afraid they don't," smiled Pod sadly. "Apparently, they are now parked outside City Hall in some kind of stakeout. Maybe they are not up to anything at all, but you could probably at least move them along."

Letting out an angry groan, Brienne got up off her bed and went over to her wardrobe to retrieve her super suit and armour.

_Why can I not have a quiet night in just once?_

Half an hour later, Brienne found herself walking down the road outside the City Hall trying to spot the Kingslayer, the Imp, and the Evil Queen. She didn't know _why_ they were apparently staking out the City Hall - and she didn't much care - she just wanted to get home and back to bed. Hopefully Jaime would be home soon, and she could call him. Eventually, she spotted them over in a highly conspicuous sports car opposite the City Hall. Sighing, Brienne marched over to them, and wasted no time in knocking on the window. It lowered at once, revealing the Kingslayer in the driver's seat, with the Imp and his giant wings on the passenger’s side and the Evil Queen in the back.

The Kingslayer stopped eating his packet of crisps in order to smile at her. "Hello, wench!" he beamed. Brienne hated to admit it, but even cramped in a sports car, the Kingslayer was abominably sexy.

"My name is not _wench_ ," growled Brienne, glad she was wearing her mask to hide her blush. "Stop calling me that. It is the Blue Knight."

"You'll always be wench to me," he grinned, which made Brienne want to punch him, even though they were at a very odd angle.

"What are you three doing here?" she asked brusquely, not liking that he was wasting her valuable time with stupid nicknames and vague loitering, "because I know you have no lawful reason for being here, so I advise you to leave before I make you."

"You can't force innocent civilians off a public highway," declared the Imp, snatching the giant bag of crisps from his brother. "We are just here, minding our own business."

Brienne looked at him witheringly. "I might not know why you are here, but I definitely know it is not for innocent reasons, so could you please just go home or wherever, because I've got stuff to do."

"Like what, wench?" asked the Kingslayer, gazing at her as if he were genuinely interested.

Although Brienne did not fancy telling him about her personal life, she could not help but hit back at him, wanting to show that him and his stupid nicknames had no effect on her. "I was halfway through a Jon Snow documentary, if you must know."

"Oooh, which one?" the Kingslayer asked.

"The Lost City of Yeen."

"That's a good one," he smiled. "The stuff about the black stone is fascinating!"

Brienne raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You've seen it?"

"Yeah," he admitted with a shrug of the shoulders. "I've been binge watching Jon Snow documentaries because my girlfriend loves them, and I like talking to her about them."

Irritated by the nonchalant way that the Kingslayer was lying to her in an attempt to make himself look sweet, Brienne slammed her hand down on the edge of the car's window. "As if!"

"What?" the Kingslayer said, looking at him confusedly.

"As if you would be that considerate about your girlfriend!"

The Kingslayer went to object, but the Imp and the Evil Queen beat him too it.

"Oh, I promise you he is," said the Evil Queen, leaning forward so her head appeared right beside the Kingslayer. "He is so in love with his girlfriend it is sickening."

"Shut up!" said the Kingslayer, blushing behind his mask.

The Imp started laughing. "Oh _now_ you are embarrassed about the public display you and B are always putting on, now you are in front of the Blue Knight. It seems we know who the arbiter of your standards is."

The Kingslayer folded his arms across his chest protectively. "Shut up!"

"No I won't, because you _know_ my feelings about your girlfriend and you _know_ who I think she really is, and yet you can't see it when it is right in front..."

"Be quiet, both of you!" snapped Brienne, fed up with this entire silly display. "I really do not care if the Kingslayer is the loveliest boyfriend in the history of boyfriends, because I know what he is really like. He is a villain!" The Kingslayer went to object, but she silenced him with a raised hand. "Now, if the three of you don't get out of here _right now_ I am going to have to make you!"

In spite of her aggressive tone, the Kingslayer's expression turned sultry. "Why? Are you going to arrest me, Blue Knight?"

Up until that moment, the thought of arresting the Kingslayer had been entirely limited to that fantasy world that she was preparing to build with Jaime, so it made her blush furiously. The Kingslayer picked up on it at once. "Ooooh, someone has thought about that!"

"In your dreams!" she growled.

"More like in yours," he replied, biting his lip in an effort to be teasing.

Having had enough of him and his ridiculousness, Brienne pulled away from the car and stood up to her full height. "Right, I have had enough of this. Leave now, or I will commit serious property damage to this very nice sports car!"

"Hey!" cried the Evil Queen. "You can't damage the Squadmobile! We could sue you."

"Sue me then, because whatever happens, I am going to make sure the three of you leave by legal means or no!"

Perhaps it was how angry she was getting, or that she was flushed in the face, but suddenly the Kingslayer laughed at her, and reached out for the car key. "Okay, wench, we'll do as you say. I value my life."

"My name is _not wench!"_

"I know, but you love it, so I'm not going to stop," he purred. Before Brienne had the chance to object, the Kingslayer put the car into reverse, meaning she had to jump back in order to avoid her toes getting run over. "I'll see you around."

Red-faced and furious, Brienne could only watch as the Kingslayer and his abominable siblings drove away, leaving her feeling incredibly guilty for getting all hot and flustered around him, especially when she had a lovely boyfriend at home who watched Jon Snow documentaries with her.

"You bastard," she muttered as the car disappeared into the distance. "You absolute bastard."

* * *

After her run in with the Sibling Squad, Brienne's life continued as normal for a couple more days, until mid-afternoon that Friday when she got a message from Jaime.

 _Jaime:_ Hey, the super suit and handcuffs arrived today. Do you fancy trying them out this evening?

Stuck at her desk at work in between Sansa and Renly, Brienne could not help but blush as she stared down at his offer. Pulling her phone into her lap so nobody could see, she thought of the best way to reply.

 _Brienne:_ Sounds great. I promised Sansa I would go for a coffee after work, but I should be home about 6. Does that work for you?

 _Jaime:_ Perfect. This design on the Oldtown skyscraper has almost been settled on, so I should be able to get out early. I'll go around to yours and set up. I'll make sure Pod is out, I'll put your super suit out in the landing so you can change into it, and set everything up in the bedroom. I am SO EXCITED 💗

 _Brienne:_ I am looking forward to this too!

She spent the rest of the afternoon in a state of utter unrest, trapped between nervousness and genuine excitement that her boyfriend was willing to act out a sexual fantasy of hers (even if it did involve the Kingslayer of all people). Therefore, by the time she went for coffee with Sansa and Renly, who had tagged along, Brienne wanted nothing more than to escape.

"Brienne and I are thinking of doing a girl's weekend to Winterfell," Sansa was telling Renly. "Brienne has never been, and I would love to show her round the ancestral pad."

"Ohh, that sounds exciting," Renly replied. "Loras is taking me to Highgarden next week to show me the..."

Brenne lost concentration, however, when her phone buzzed. It was a message from Jaime.

 _Jaime:_ Blue Knight, I'm waiting for you.

Given the tension built into her body Brienne's stomach lurched; it was an old habit formed from years of hiding the truth.

 _Brienne:_ What are you talking about?

She stared at the screen for a few moments as the three dots of doom that told her Jaime was writing floated before her.

 _Jaime_ : I, the Kingslayer, have something you desperately want.

Her fear dissipated instantly and was replaced by an excited nervousness that launched a thousand butterflies in her belly. Wanting to please him, Brienne tried to get into character - her character being a woman who was pretending _not_ to really be the Blue Knight pretending to really be the Blue Knight - and closed her eyes as she thought of what to say.

 _Brienne:_ Kingslayer! You despicable fiend, where are you?

 _Jaime:_ I'm in your Bat Cave (that's your bedroom, Brienne, in case you are confused 💗)

 _Brienne:_ You bastard! (I'm not really calling you a bastard. I'm just getting into character. I think that is what she would call him 🥰)

 _Jaime:_ You might not want to call me such rude names when you hear what I have for you, that you are desperately, _desperately_ going to want.

 _Brienne:_ What do you think I would want from YOU!?!?!?!

 _Jaime:_ I'll give you three guesses.

Brienne thought about it.

 _Brienne:_ Dragonbinder?

 _Jaime:_ No.

 _Brienne:_ A signed copy of Jon Snow's autobiography?

 _Jaime:_ No.

 _Brienne:_ I give up. Just tell me.

 _Brienne:_ You evil man.

 _Jaime:_ BUT YOU'VE ONLY HAD TWO GUESSES!

 _Brienne:_ But I'm terrible at guessing! Just tell me!

 _Jaime:_ Alright, but I'm going to tell you in emoji form because, even though people think I am a villain, I am actually very civilised.

 _Brienne:_ Go on then, what is it?

 _Jaime:_ 🍆

Blushing furiously, Brienne put her phone in her pocket and turned to Sansa and Renly, knowing she could not wait a minute longer.

"Sorry guys, I've got to go home. Jaime needs me."

At the mention of Brienne's boyfriend, Sansa gave her a knowing smile. "Ooh, have fun you two! Just makes sure he treats you right!"

"He will!" called Brienne, already halfway out the coffee shop.

As she took the bus home, Brienne was forced to sit wedged in between the window and a woman with a baby as Jaime sent her reams and reams of dirty messages.

 _Jaime:_ I'm touching myself thinking about you.

 _Jaime:_ Fuck, I'm so hard imagining the taste of you.

 _Jaime:_ Are you here yet? I've been a very bad boy and already made a mess of the sheets.

Wound up beyond all measure, Brienne fumbled with her keys when she arrived back in Evenfall Manor, and then immediately went dashing upstairs to the East Wing the moment she got inside. As promised, she found her super suit and cape folded up outside her bedroom door (sans armour), and she immediately ran to the bathroom to get changed. Once ready, she stared at herself in the mirror.

"You can do this," she muttered, putting on a tiny little bit of eyeliner in lieu of wearing her normal mask. "You want this. Jaime wants this. It is just going to be a bit of fun."

 _It is not like I am actually having sex with the Kingslayer,_ she thought.

Once everything was ready, Brienne took one more deep breath for courage, and then strode across the hall to her bedroom. She thought to open it carefully, just like Brienne would, but then remembered that every time she took the Kingslayer on, she had a habit of kicking down doors when entering buildings. Consequently, she decided to do just that in order to get into character.

"What are you doing, Kingslayer?" she spat, the moment she entered the room to find Jaime in the Kingslayer's super suit - all golden sun god - rifling through one of her drawers, a prominent bulge at his crotch. "This is government property!"

Jaime - or should she say, the Kingslayer - turned to face her, smirking maliciously. "Who the fuck are you kidding? You know why I am here. This is what we've both wanted for _ages_."

Momentarily, her mind flitted to the Kingslayer, and she imagined him saying this to her from behind that mask. In an effort to suppress that thought, she focussed on Jaime, his beautiful face clearly visible given he was not wearing a mask and tried to stay in character.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

He smiled at her crookedly. "Oh yeah? I'm confessing to all my crimes. I've been a very bad boy and need to be punished."

Once again, Brienne thought of the Kingslayer, smug and arrogant in his expensive sports car. She wanted to punch him for intruding. "I... I... I..."

Jaime stepped forward, sensing she was finding this roleplay a little difficult, and gave her an invitation she could not refuse. "Come and get me, _wench_."

Pulled back into character by that nickname - _wench_ \- that only the Kingslayer used for the Blue Knight, Brienne let herself be washed away by her fantasies. Forgetting about Brienne and Jaime, the Blue Knight tackled the Kingslayer onto the bed and straddled him, instantly feeling how hard he was. It thrilled her as he lifted his hips and ground into her invitingly.

"Oh, Kingslayer, you _are_ a very bad boy," she purred, lifting his arms above his head, "but no matter... I think that means we are going to have a _very_ fun night!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yes. They are complete dumbasses. I hope you enjoyed this silliness and weren't too annoyed by the fake out, but something needs to happen before they find out the truth!
> 
> And well done to JustWriterBritt to guessing where I was going with this!


	10. Role Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For one night only, Jaime and Brienne become the Kingslayer and the Blue Knight...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it has been a little while since I updated this, but I hope you enjoy because this was a tough chapter. This is just a big pile of fluffy smut, because the world seems quite dark today, but I hope we soon have light.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

The Blue Knight was a legend. Whenever she appeared on the TV, it was always accompanied by a gasp of surprise from both the people she materialised amongst and the avid viewers watching events unfold. Jaime knew as much, having seen it happen on multiple occasions. Masked, wearing a cape, and playing his role of Kingslayer, Jaime could never actually remark on how much he admired her, but now... now that Brienne was playing the Blue Knight, straddling him and holding his hands above his head, his throat went dry. It was hot and perfect and felt oh so _good._

"Oh, Kingslayer, you are a very bad boy," she said, rocking against him, rubbing against where he was hard and wanting, "but I think we are going to have a very fun night."

He could not help but gasp at the contact, the two of them only divided by the thin material of their super suits, but he tried to get back in character. Although Jaime Lannister was a dork of the highest order, the Kingslayer was always cool when dealing with the Blue Knight. "Really?" he purred, "because I might somehow escape out of your grasp!"

He went to sit up as a way of teasing her, but Brienne just slammed him back down again, her sapphire eyes as deep and determined as the Blue Knight's. She was so strong that the easy way she dealt with him went straight to his cock. As he struggled beneath her, Brienne grinned at him, as if she was taking immense pleasure in toying with him.

"Don't struggle, Kingslayer. You are _mine..._ at least for tonight."

On sounding the word _mine,_ she clenched her thighs around his hips, trapping him beneath her. Jaime moaned appreciatively. Even though he was prone beneath her, he had to admit that he was very grateful Brienne had been willing to bring to life this little fantasy of his and had not pushed him away and called him a freak. Quite the opposite in fact; Jaime could feel the tension building between them.

It was so, _so_ hot.

Perhaps Brienne thought that she had him trapped, but Jaime was sure that she could not survey the long, strong line of him the way he could for her, so he knew he was winning. Instead, she was stuck pinning him down, holding his hands above his head and putting all her weight on his wrists. Fixed in this position, Jaime had to admit Brienne looked every inch the Blue Knight, right from her super suit up to her arresting blue eyes.

 _Maybe Tyrion was right,_ a little voice said. _Maybe Brienne really_ is _the Blue Knight._

Jaime did not want to think about that possibility during sex (or Tyrion, to be completely honest), so instead he focussed on Brienne and her singular determined strength, as well as the game they were playing.

"Since I am yours... what are you planning on doing to me?" Jaime asked Brienne, his voice sultry. At her question, a blush came across her cheeks. Jaime could tell by the way she was hesitating that she was losing her confidence, so he decided to go gently. "Blue Knight, I am in your power tonight. I will do anything, and I mean _anything_ you ask of me."

Perhaps it was the costume, or that she had him pinned to the bed, or even his soothing tone, but suddenly the usually shy and retiring Brienne found it in her to be dominant again. Giving him a teasing look, she purred, "oh, Kingslayer... I'm going to use you however I want."

"In what way is that?" he asked, biting his bottom lip in anticipation.

Brienne's eyes roved over him as she considered her reply, and it turned Jaime on even more to think that she was enjoying watching and using him like this. When the silence had gone on a little too long, Jaime went to speak, but was cut off by her mouth as it slammed down on his in a ferocious, furious kiss.

 _Oh, wench,_ he thought mischievously. _We_ are _going to have a fun night._

They kissed and kissed until Brienne needed to come up for air, gasping as if she had run a marathon. Although he thought she might need a moment, Jaime was not one to miss his opportunity, so took her fleeting weakness to flip them both over so he was on top. Brienne's eyes went wide. "I wasn't aware you were so speedy!"

"I'm the Kingslayer, wench," he purred. "What did you think my superpowers are?"

Jaime expected her to smile, but for some reason Brienne's expression momentarily darkened. Given what he just said, he briefly considered that it was because he called her wench. Could she be suspecting that he was truly the Kingslayer?

 _No,_ he told himself. _Everybody knows I call the Blue Knight "wench" ever since our fight on the bridge was televised. I've got to stop worrying and stay in the moment._

Wanting to silence his own thoughts, Jaime kissed her passionately, running his hand through her hair as he did so. He was suddenly tremendously thankful that she had asked to do this without masks; he wanted to feel her, every inch of her, and be reminded that although they were playing this game, she still cared for him... still wanted Jaime. Brienne, his Brienne. Consequently, Jaime went for her super suit, not wasting any time in unzipping it and pulling it from her shoulders. To his surprise, he discovered she was not wearing a bra.

"I did not realise the Blue Knight went braless when protecting the innocent civilians of King's Landing," Jaime teased, marvelling at the discovery he had just made

Unfortunately for him, Brienne spotted his weakness and used the opportunity to flip him onto his back, leaning over him once more. Jaime was not sad about it, as it gave him an eyeful. "Nipple chafing is real."

"Is it?" Jaime asked, lifting up his head to try and kiss her breasts. "Because I could help you out with that."

At that comment, Brienne laughed so sweetly and then let him.

From there, the lines between Jaime and the Kingslayer, and Brienne and the Blue Knight began to disintegrate. Just as he had removed her super suit from her upper body, Brienne did the same to him, and proceeded to lather his chest with kisses. Not really wanting to take part in some overdrawn power play any longer, Jaime let her strip him of his costume, then did the same to her. The handcuffs he had purchased went clattering to the floor when they rolled over onto their sides so they could lie side by side, kissing and kissing and kissing...

"Jaime," she managed to breathe in between kisses, totally forgetting that they were meant to be the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer still.

"Mmmm?"

"Will you go on top?" she asked excitedly, "I want you to hold me, I want to feel your weight on me when you are inside me."

"Oh god, yes," Jaime replied, spreading her thighs apart with one hand so he could get in place between her legs. He could already tell how excited she was, but he began to stroke her just _there_ to make her even more so. Overcome by the sensation, Brienne let out a long deep moan.

"So... sensitive..."

"I'm sorry, I'll stop..."

"No, keep going. It's good... so good..."

It was almost too much for Jaime. The sound and sight of her arousal was pushing him to the edge, but he did what she asked. There was nothing he wanted more that to make her happy, so stroked her and fucked her with his fingers until she was shuddering around him.

"Yes, Brienne, yes, just take what you want from me... anything... anything... sweetheart, oh _yes."_

And then he could no longer be this far apart from her. Although they were both lying on their discarded super suits and capes which would clearly need to be dry cleaned, Jaime could barely bring himself to care as he slid inside her with one easy thrust.

"Jaime... oh gods, yes... _yes..."_

He swallowed her words and wrapped his arms around her. From the moment he had first met her, Jaime had felt the connection with Brienne, and suddenly felt strangely guilty that he had brought his lust for the Blue Knight into their bedroom. Yes, the Blue Knight turned him on, and yes they had this raw sexual chemistry every time they interacted, but it was Brienne he wanted in his arms, Brienne he wanted to make laugh and be her shoulder to cry on, Brienne he desired above everyone else. So, given that Brienne was here, holding him and fucking him, fulfilling every fantasy of having someone who loved him he had ever had, Jaime did not last very long at all.

"Oh gods, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he stammered, when he came so quickly it was almost embarrassing. Pulling out, Jaime stared down at the mess they had made. "I'm sorry, I'll get something to clean up, I'll..."

"Hush," Brienne whispered, kissing him gently and tucking his head beneath her chin, making him stay close to her. "Your superpower is super speed, after all."

That she was using a type of kind humour made Jaime smile, and also relax into her in a way he had never been able to with anyone else. "Thanks, sweetling, although I promise I will try to last a bit longer next time."

"No worries," she smiled. "I am just happy you are here with me."

That little comment made Jaime's poor heart soar. Although he had not yet told her his darkest secret, he believed he could trust her and that it would only be a matter of time before he _did_ tell her. And Brienne was so good she wouldn't hold the fact he was the Kingslayer against him, would she? Especially not once he told her the truth about Aerys.

_His eyes were glowing, burning, and everything was falling apart..._

As he settled against her, Jaime felt both the warmth of Brienne's skin and the steadiness of her breathing and wondered if she had superpowers too. Looking at her, his eyes were filled with stars - glistening and glowing - and it was all because of her. His Brienne. His Blue Knight. As Jaime's heart rate returned to normal, Brienne rearranged the way they were lying so they were both shuffled up next to each other, then rested her head on his shoulder. Once she had done so, Brienne pulled the Blue Knight's discarded cape over them both, to keep them safe and warm together. Her task completed, she looked up at him, her blue eyes bright. The whole universe seemed to coalesce in those sapphires.

"Brienne?"

"Mmm?" she replied, before pressing a feather-light kiss into his jaw. Jaime thought she looked so precious that he found the truth tumbled out before he could stop himself.

"I love you," he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her. "I really, really do."

Given that the statement was so simple, Jaime was surprised when she blinked at him, almost confusedly. "You love me?"

"Of course," he said, nuzzling her cheek. "I know we haven't been together long... and you don't have to say it back or anything... but it just feels right to say it now... doesn't it?"

As the question hovered in the air, it felt as if a hand was slowly squeezing at Jaime's heart. Would Brienne answer him? Blow the whole thing off? Or tell him that she loved him too and that she was sorry she hadn't said it sooner, hadn't said it yesterday, hadn't said it the moment they met.

It therefore surprised him when she continued to look at him confusedly. "You love me? _You_ love _me?"_

"I love you," he said again, unable to resist smiling as the words poured out of him. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love--"

And then she was kissing him again, and the whole world became technicolour, because it was all somehow better just by the simple fact that she existed. When they broke apart, she was smiling at him so beautifully that he almost forgot that one day he would have to tell her the truth of who he really was.

The Kingslayer.

"I love you too, Jaime... so much," she said, her eyes shining.

That simple confession made Jaime so happy that, for a moment, he could forget everything other than the fact that he was here lying in a bed with her, naked as his nameday, and that was all that mattered.

Lost for words, Jaime kissed her, knowing there was no other way that would quite communicate the extent of his joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. As ever, I would love to hear what you think in a comment or kudos!


	11. Love and Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne considers what it means to be in love...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for coming back to this chapter! I hope you enjoy :)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

Brienne spent the weekend in Jaime's arms, feeling quite unlike she ever had before. Not only did they have sex, and talk, and kiss, and sleep, and eat take away, and discuss what they liked in bed, but they also just spoke about inane rubbish in a way she had never done with anyone else before.

With other people, Brienne Tarth cultivated herself. With Jaime, she was real.

"They are doing this stargazing night at the Rosby ruins in a few weeks' time," said Brienne as she drew lazy circles on his chest. "We can bring a picnic, and they'll talk us through all the constellations; the Sword of the Morning, the Ice Dragon..."

"Brienne's Nose," teased Jaime, running a finger down the crooked bridge of the relevant feature.

She could not help but splutter with laughter. "There is not a constellation called Brienne's Nose."

"There is, I see it all the time!" Jaime teased, pecking her on the cheek. "And also Brienne's Eyes, Brienne's Freckles, Brienne's Arms, Brienne's Boobs..."

He kissed every body part he named.

They showered together and Jaime washed Brienne's back, then they rolled back into bed without bothering to change into their clothes. They fucked as many times as they pleased, and Jaime told Brienne how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. Part of her thought it must be a dream, but in her heart of hearts she knew it was too vivid to be so.

 _It's real,_ she thought, amazed, as she watched Jaime sleep. _It's real and he's real and I'm real and we love each other and that is all that matters._

Unfortunately, come Monday morning, the _really_ real world intruded on their fun as both of them had to go to work. Jaime looked incredibly sleepy as he rose from her bed, but there was a blissful smile on his face that was so wonderful Brienne could do nothing but kiss him again and again, until he was laughing.

"I really need to go," he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "I've got to go home and get changed before I head to work."

Brienne pouted at him. "We could both call in sick."

"Oh, could we?" he asked teasingly. "And I thought you were the honourable Brienne Tarth. I am outraged, I tell you! Outraged!"

"I just want to stay with you," she said gently, reaching out to take his hand. "Is that too much to ask?"

For a moment he looked wistful, but then his expression turned teasing once more. "Yes, it is too much to ask, according to my boss Stannis. The company has a contract with the Martells to build a new skyscraper in Sunspear. Stannis would skin me alive if I missed all the planning meetings because I was _ill._ "

Although she knew he was right, Brienne could not help but feel disappointed. Now she had Jaime, it was very difficult to not want him all of the time. She made her heaven with him, so everything felt dimmer when they were apart. Wanting Jaime to know that, she kissed the back of his hand as gently as she could.

"Are you free tonight?" she asked, not caring that the duvet cover had fallen, revealing her naked body to him. "You could come here, or we could go out for dinner."

At her question, Jaime grimaced. "I'm sorry, I'm not. Cersei, Tyrion, and I are going out."

"Where?" she asked, intrigued. "Because if it's just to the cinema or the park or something, I won't be any bother. I could come with you and then we could go to yours or mine together, whatever you felt like."

He smiled at her affectionately. In all her life, Brienne had never met someone who looked at her like _that._ "I wish I _was_ going to the cinema with Cersei and Tyrion, but afraid I'm not. We've got to do something for my father tonight."

A knot grew in Brienne's stomach at Jaime's confession. Ever since that blunder she had made concerning Tywin on their first date, Brienne had been scared that Jaime wanted to keep her away from his notorious father. As she was of a nervous disposition, Brienne could not sometimes help but wonder if Jaime was embarrassed by her. She wasn't traditionally attractive, after all, and she imagined Tywin Lannister would want someone much more photogenic as a girlfriend for his son and heir. Therefore, Brienne thought it was quite likely that Jaime was limiting his father's knowledge of her at the very least, because he was ashamed of what she was.

Jaime tilted his head to one side, looking at her concernedly. "What's the matter? You look worried."

Brienne thought about hiding the truth, but then she remembered that she had just spent the most wonderful weekend laying all bare, so she felt compelled to speak. "I just... I mean... are you embarrassed of me?"

"Embarrassed?" replied Jaime, surprised, his eyes going very wide. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I haven't met your dad, and I am aware he is someone important in the world, and I'm _not,_ so I was just worried that you were ashamed to let me meet him... and I would understand if you were. I know I'm nothing special, I..."

Before anymore of her worries and anxieties could come tumbling out of her mouth, Jaime planted a quick, but understanding, kiss to her lips. "I'm not embarrassed by you, I just want to keep you away from my father for as long as possible because he is a _literal nightmare_ and will make you hate me. He makes _me_ hate me. And I don't want that. So... that's why you can't come tonight; it is going to be me, Cersei, Tyrion, and _him,_ and I don't want to put you through that. I just want to be us for as long as possible, before the real world has to intrude."

She understood that sentiment keenly, so she cupped his face with her hand. "Okay, let's keep the real world at bay for as long as possible."

"Deal," he smiled, before kissing her again in a way she knew would make them both very, _very_ late.

* * *

Jaime left half an hour later with the Kingslayer's super suit tucked away in her bag. She kissed him off, as if she was a medieval maiden waving her husband off to war. Getting into the game, Jaime blew her kisses all the way down Evenfall Manor's driveway, while she laughed at his silliness.

 _Gods, is this what it is like to be loved?_ she marvelled. _It is bliss._

Once Jaime had finally gone, Brienne went to get herself ready for work. She started by heading down to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. Unsurprisingly, Pod was already there emptying the dishwasher. Suddenly realising she and Jaime had been very loud all weekend, she felt a blush grown on her cheeks.

At her abashed expression, Pod let out an uncharacteristically cheeky smile. "Don't worry, Miss Tarth. I kept myself scarce. Would you like a slice of toast and an orange juice?"

"Yes please," said Brienne, going to sit down by the kitchen table. She could already tell that Podrick was gearing up for a conversation, but Brienne could barely focus on him, as her mind was still dancing with memories of the weekend, and one person in particular.

_Jaime, Jaime, Jaime._

Once Podrick had made the toast and poured her a glass of orange juice, he put it in front of her before sitting by her side. "So, good weekend?"

"Yes," she replied, taking a sip of her drink in an attempt to avert her eyes. "It was very fun."

Podrick smiled at her knowing. "Good. I'm glad to hear that."

"He told me he loved me," said Brienne, without even thinking about it. It felt as natural as breathing. "He told me he loved me, and I said it back."

Perhaps it was her dreamy expression, but something made Podrick's smile dim. "That's nice, but don't you feel it is all a little... _quick."_

"Pod, we've talked about this..."

"I know, I know," he said in a conciliatory manner, holding his hands up, "but I just want you to be happy and safe, you know? And it is not just your feelings you have to consider here, but our entire operation. It is one person keeping your best friend out of the loop, but another to keep the man you've given a key to your house to. At any moment, he could wander in and discover everything. The entrance to the Knight Cave is _hidden in your wardrobe,_ after all."

Brienne could not help but roll her eyes, even though she knew what Podrick was saying was making sense. "Jaime wouldn't hurt me..."

"But this secret could hurt _him,"_ Podrick said gently, "and it could hurt _you_ if you don't work out how to deal with this."

Exactly what was hidden behind Podrick's words dawned in Brienne's mind quite suddenly. "You think I should tell him, don't you?"

"If you love and trust him as much as you claim to, I think you should tell him, yes," replied Podrick firmly, before stretching out and taking her hand in his. "But if you have any doubts at all, you should end it. I wouldn't be saying this is you were a normal woman - relationships take building - but you are the _Blue Knight,_ so you have to work at protecting yourself and your city. And that means making a decision about Jaime."

Brienne nodded slowly, before taking a sip of her orange juice and a bite of her toast. "Alright," she said carefully, working out the best way of putting this, "I will tell him."

Pod's eyes widened in surprise. "You will?'

"Yes," nodded Brienne, her smile blooming once more, "because I love and trust him, and if I want to make this work... he has to know the truth of who I am."

* * *

After Pod told her she had his one hundred percent support in telling Jaime the truth, the only thing to do was to decide the best way to break it to him. It didn't help that she had only very recently denied being the Blue Knight to him, but she hoped he would understand. It was an important secret, after all, and one which she also had to think of the city as well as her own.

Brienne struggled with the problem at work all that morning, even though they had a huge project advertising for _Antler Men Financial Services,_ and her whole mind should have been devoted to that. However, the thought of bursting the bubble that she and Jaime had built for themselves was already worrying her, so now she had the time to dwell on it, it was positively gnawing at her.

At lunch time, Brienne went to the canteen with Sansa and picked out a rather unexciting looking salad while she thought of Jaime. As Sansa babbled on about the latest episode of _Queer Eye,_ Brienne rolled around the cherry tomatoes on her plate.

 _Maybe I should just take him out for dinner, bring him home and sex him within an inch of his life and_ then _tell him_ , she thought. _Then he might understand and forgive me for lying._

"Why are you looking so tense?" Nearly choking on air, Brienne looked up to find Sansa gazing at her, a curious expression on her face. "You clearly haven't listened to _anything_ I said about _Queer Eye_ so tell me; what's up?"

A thousand explanations and excuses rushed through Brienne's head, but in the end, she decided to go for the simple truth.

"Jaime told me loves me."

There was a warmth in Sansa's expression that started to glow. "And what did you say back?"

"That I loved him too."

In spite of the fact Sansa and Jaime's parents were currently fighting it out in an increasingly bitter election campaign, Sansa looked positively delighted. "Oh Brienne, that's wonderful!"

"It is," Brienne agreed, blushing. She had never been so happy as she had been this weekend, safe in Jaime's arms. "I just... you know... can't help but worry."

Sansa reached out and took Brienne's hand, a concerned look in her eye. "What about?"

In her heart of hearts, Brienne wanted to tell Sansa about being the Blue Knight, about how she felt as if she was being forced to choose between her duty towards King's Landing and her love for Jaime. However, she had kept that part of her life from Sansa just as much as she had from her boyfriend, so instead, she decided to say something vaguer.

"What if it all goes wrong? I love him but... what if...?"

To Brienne's surprise, Sansa squeezed her finger reassuringly, and shook her head. "There's no _what if_ to this, Brienne."

"How do you know?"

"Woman's intuition," said Sansa, before letting go of Brienne's hand. "Jaime has said he loves you, so _trust_ him. Believe him. And just enjoy being together."

 _Being together,_ mulled Brienne as she began to eat her salad. _Just enjoy it._

_But how can I truly enjoy being with Jaime when we have this huge secret hanging over our heads?_

Brienne continued to turn the Blue Knight issue over and over in her head until she returned home that evening. Knowing Jaime was out with Cersei and Tyrion, she kicked her shoes off and went to the living room to watch the TV. Throughout the afternoon, the idea for how she wanted to tell Jaime the truth had slowly come to fruition in her mind. It wasn't very extensive - it consisted of dinner and sex - but she wanted it to be under her control, at least.

She decided to text him.

 _Brienne:_ Hey, Jaime! I hope you are having fun with Cersei and Tyrion (and your father is being somewhat bearable). I was thinking we should have dinner sometime this week and

The door swung open with a loud bang.

"Brienne!" called Pod as he came into the room, looking a little flustered.

Sighing, Brienne put down her phone and didn't finish the text. "What's the matter? Did...?"

Pod gave her absolutely no time to ask questions. "Police Commissioner Bywater called on the Knight Phone! The Sibling Squad have held everyone in City Hall hostage unless they reveal the access codes to the Electoral Roll. It looks like they are trying to rig the election!"

Brienne was on her feet at once. Jaime would have to wait, especially if the Kingslayer was somewhere out there trying to terrorise King's Landing.

"Get the keys to my Knight Mobile," Brienne ordered Pod, pulling her shoulders back so she could stand in the superhero pose. "I have a city to save. Duty calls."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As ever, I would luuuuurve to hear what you think in a comment or kudos.


	12. Unmasked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sent on a mission with the Evil Queen and the Imp by their father, the Kingslayer runs into some unexpected opposition...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this chapter is called "Unmasked". I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

_I can't believe I am missing out on seeing Brienne for this,_ thought Jaime grumpily as he stood in his father's mahogany-panelled office, watching as Tywin Lannister ran his hand through Joanna the Cat's silky fur.

With his expensive suit and his cool expression, it appeared Tywin was doing his best impression of a knock-off Bond villain. As ever, the Lannister patriarch's eyes were flinty and emotionless as he surveyed his three children, who were decked out in their full regalia; namely, their million dragon super suits. Jaime had not had time since his _adventures_ with Brienne to get his dry cleaned, so he hoped against all hope that it did not smell of what they had done, especially as this was apparently a very important meeting and he didn't want to attract his father's ire.

"From your recent scouting of City Hall, it seems that the computers from which we can access King's Landing's electoral register are found within."

Cersei looked very confused. "Yeah... and?"

" _And_ ," said Tywin, gazing at her frostily, "recent polling suggests Catelyn Stark is going to trounce me in this upcoming election. Petyr Baelish suggested to me it might me a good idea if one or two electors... fell off the beaten track, and I happen to agree, don't you?"

"What?" asked Cersei, something approaching horror dawning on her face. "Are you suggesting we _kill_ some electors? Because we've never..."

That stupid comment from Cersei was one step too far for their father, who up to this point had been managing his temper by stroking his pussy. "NO!" thundered Tywin, springing to his feet so violently that Joanna the Cat was sent flying across the room accompanied by an indignant _miaow._ "DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I WOULD LET THE THREE OF YOU DIRTY YOUR HANDS SO OBVIOUSLY? WE ARE BUILDING A DYNASTY THAT WILL LAST A THOUSAND YEARS. WHAT GOOD WILL IT DO IF YOU WERE CAUGHT AND THROWN IN PRISON BECAUSE YOU KILLED SOME NOBODIES?"

It his Jaime at once, as strong as a swelling wave. With his father's anger came the familiar loud echo of the past. Looking down at his hands, for a moment Jaime imagined they were dripping with blood - Aerys' blood - and that he could smell the acrid smoke of burning in his nostrils. Fire danced behind his closed eyelids, and he could hear Aerys speaking, his voice cracked and rasping.

"Burn them all. Burn them all. _Burn them all_..."

It was only when his father was reunited with his therapy cat that Jaime once more felt his nightmares recede and retreat into the past where they belonged.

"I'm sorry Jojo," cooed Tywin, picking his fat cat back up and putting her back on his lap, before gently stroking her fur once more. The soothing effect of closeness with his cat seemed to lower his blood pressure, which was only to the good, even if everyone else's had already been raised. "I've been a bad daddy, haven't I? You sweet little kitty."

Luckily, Joanna made happy little purring noises for long enough to allow Jaime to shoot a glance at Cersei and Tyrion. Normally, the three of them found the fact that their father's smiles were saved for his Persian cat absolutely hysterical but, given that a glimmering hint Tywin's anger had just been unleashed, things were not entirely rosy. From their pale faces and heavy breathing, Jaime spotted that both Tyrion and Cersei had also just been forced on a trip down Worst Memory Lane, so now did not seem a good time for a joke.

Nor resistance.

With Joanna once more back on his lap, Tywin's eyes rolled over his three children, making Jaime feel small and inadequate. In an attempt to keep his head above the water, he tried to think of Brienne - that always made him feel better - but the darkness of the past was still waiting for him just out of sight, trying to pull him back into its depths, slowly consuming him.

_Drowning in fire..._

"I don't want you to kill the electors, I just want you to _erase_ them," said Tywin, his voice like boiling oil as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a USB stick. "Petyr Baelish informs me that this contains a computer virus that will do just that. If you release the virus into City Hall's computer systems, it has been designed to attack and delete the records of those electors who may not be receptive to my campaign messages, and the election will no doubt fall my way."

At that rather sinister suggestion, Jaime could not help but think back on his and Brienne's first date. Given her anti-Tywin Lannister opinions, surely, she would be one of the first people wiped from the electoral roll, her human rights permanently infringed.

 _It is not like I could do anything about it,_ thought Jaime. _Whether I help my father or not, he always gets what he wants._

"Have you ever thought of trying to win this election fairly, father?" said Tyrion suddenly, his mouth a tight line of fear and fury. "Instead of making us rig it in your favour?"

The sound that came out of Tywin's mouth might have been an attempt laughter, but it sounded so distorted and strange coming from behind his lips that Jaime thought it was closer to a growl. "What is fair? Letting some little people who don't matter at all have the vote?" Tywin said, his rage a barely concealed coil behind his words. "The lion does not listen to the opinion of the sheep."

Tywin Lannister would no doubt think Brienne Tarth was a sheep when Jaime eventually built up the courage to bring her home. She was sweet and kind where he was cruel and venal, after all.

 _Maybe I will keep her a secret for a little while longer,_ mused Jaime. _If she knows all my darkest secrets, maybe she won't love me anymore. If she meets my father, she definitely won't love me anymore._

Gesturing to Tyrion, their father made to force his youngest son waddle across the room to retrieve the USB stick from him. Knowing their father very well, Jaime instantly spotted what that order was; Tywin longed to inconvenience Tyrion and made him appear inadequate and weak against his able-bodied siblings. However, Tyrion was clearly in no mood for mind games and, not wanting to be embarrassed, he used his power to summon the memory stick out of his father's hand, a subtle _fuck you_ if ever there was one. A swell of pride washed through Jaime the moment the USB stick arrived in Tyrion's outstretched hand.

Yet Tywin did not seem perturbed beyond his small grimace of annoyance. "Get going. I don't expect anything from you other than the utmost success."

"Yes father," replied Cersei, a strange, fearful vibrato in her voice. "We won't let you down."

As Jaime turned to leave the room, he could not help but momentarily disagree with his sister; sometimes, there was nothing more in the world that he wanted to do than let his father down.

* * *

In spite of his long held desire to piss his father off, an hour later, Jaime found himself parked outside City Hall with Tyrion and Cersei, listening to the former laying out their totally full proof plan for breaking into these heavily guarded government buildings that he had detailed on a large map in front of him.

"Right, City Hall have upgraded their security since the last time we broke in, so we are going to have to be more careful," said Tyrion, as the three of them watched a group of five guards who were posted outside the building's entrance march past. All of them were big, beefy blokes who were armed to the teeth, assiduously checking the IDs of anyone who dared enter. It clearly made Tyrion nervous, as he cleared his throat before he next spoke. "We are going to have to be very clever about getting in if we ever hope to put father's plan into action."

"What do you suggest?" asked Jaime, leaning between the two front seats so he could talk to Tyrion and Cersei.

Confident in her own abilities, Cersei smiled at him mischievously. "I can have those guys wrapped around my finger in no time. I'll use my powers to persuade them to let us in, and then we can use our new servants to trap everyone who will be a threat to us inside the building."

"Yes, that's a good idea," said Tyrion excitedly, running a hand over his chin as he continued to peruse the layout of City Hall. With the other, he pointed out key features of the building on the map. "So, if Cersei takes the five mind-controlled guards and gathers all our hostages in this front conference room, Jaime and I can go up to the fifth floor to the central Command Room to upload the virus."

"Do you think there will be a lock on the door?" asked Jaime concernedly, imagining it would be just their luck if they got all the way to the Control Room before discovering they couldn't _Alohomora_ their way in.

Clearly Tyrion had come prepared for such eventualities as, at the question, he looked very proud of himself. "In case you have forgotten, big brother, I can move things with my mind and that _includes_ the internal mechanics of locks."

"Good, as long as you are sure," replied Jaime, patting Tyrion on the shoulder.

"I _am_ sure," smiled Tyrion triumphantly, as confident as Cersei in his ability to get things done. "And then, once we are in, Jaime, you can guard the door while I upload the virus to the computers."

Knowing computers were not his speciality, Jaime nodded in agreement, while Cersei looked at her younger brother confusedly. "What would Jaime be guarding against? I'll have all the hostages downstairs. Who else are we expecting?"

"No doubt the moment the Honour League catch wind of this they will send one of their number down to stop us," replied Tyrion, his mood turning a bit sullen at the mention of their band of troublesome enemies. "I know you are always hoping for the Blue Knight, Jaime, but really it could be any one of them; the Young Wolf, the Lord Commander, Flower Power..."

"Probably the Blue Knight though," said Jaime swiftly, trying not to blush. "I have a theory she lives in the Great King's Landing Urban Area, so it should be an easy commute for her. The Young Wold, the Lord Commander, and Flower Power probably live out of town, it would be too inconvenient for them."

Cersei and Tyrion exchanged a humoured glance at Jaime's intricate knowledge of the Blue Knight's commuting patterns that he tried (and failed) to ignore. "Of course, I'm sure we will get the Blue Knight," said Tyrion casually, clearly not wanting to start bickering about Jaime's arch-nemesis before launching their attack on City Hall. He then folded up the map and stowed it away in one of the car's drawers; it wasn't as if any of their super suits had pockets, after all. "So," Tyrion said, looking at Cersei then Jaime and back again. "We just have these five guards to take out and then we are in. Cersei, lead the way."

Given that the car was quite small, it took a while for the three Lannister siblings to exit gracefully (given that two of them were tall and graceful like youthful giraffes, and the third had a tendency to waddle), but before long the three of them were making their way towards the five guards waiting at the entrance of City Hall. No more were they Jaime, Tyrion, and Cersei Lannister. Now, they were the Sibling Squad, superhumans to the core.

"Watch how this is done," said the Evil Queen quietly as they arrived at the doors to City Hall, still guarded by the five men. The Kingslayer could not help but notice she was eyeing up her prizes ravenously, even though the guards in question did not look like very tasty treats. Four of the guards in front of them were tall, broad, and bald, but built more like bowling balls than athletes. Their eyes all lit up in unison when the Evil Queen approached, leading the Kingslayer to conclude that she really did exude some kind of allure.

"Hello boys," she said, her voice sultry, putting her hands on her hips and sticking her chest out. "Would any of you help out a poor girl in trouble?"

The first four guards began to nod slowly, and there was something about their glazed over expressions that told the Kingslayer his sister's powers were already working. Years before, when she had been a coltish teenage girl unable to switch off the magic she produced, the Kingslayer remembered the sickly sweet poison of her allure. It felt euphoric, all-consuming, as if you could never love anyone quite in the way you loved Cersei. Indeed, the Kingslayer had often wondered if that was how heroin users felt towards their relentlessly demanding drug; addicted.

Indeed, all four men seemed entranced. "Yes," one of them said dumbly, staring at the Evil Queen as if she were the beginning and end of everything. "We will do anything you ask of us. _Anything._ "

"Great," the Evil Queen replied chirpily, as if they were all about to go on a jolly outing. "Could you take those big guns of yours and point them at the people inside? We need to keep civilians out of the way of what we intended to do." When the men just stared at her blankly, the Evil Queen began to elaborate. "When I say _big guns,_ I am talking about your deadly weapons, not your muscles."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the men broke out in unison, like they were the canned laughter of some TV comedy. The Evil Queen silenced them with a click of her fingers.

"I know I'm funny but come, we have no time for that," she said silkily. "We've got to get inside."

With her newmade army prepared, the Evil Queen made to enter City Hall along with her troops and her brothers, but she was almost immediately stopped by an unexpected voice.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Turning around, the Kingslayer noticed that the Evil Queen had not taken into account the fifth guard, who was looking at her as if her powers had no effect on him at all. He was a tall, lean youth of around eighteen, much younger than his colleagues, with dark hair and matching eyes. The Kingslayer thought he was unfathomably beautiful.

Steeling herself, the Evil Queen stared at Guard Number Five with a firm expression, leaving the Kingslayer to conclude that she was attempting to use her power again. "You are to come with me. I need your help with rounding up people inside."

Guard Number Five continued to look at her sceptically, taking in her mask, her costume, and the way his colleagues were drooling all over her. He did not seem impressed. "Am I meant to be charmed?" he asked, raising an arched eyebrow.

Looking momentarily panicked at the fact her powers seemed to be having no effect on him, the Evil Queen put her best sultry pout on and locked her hands on her hips. "No," she purred, flicking her hair over her shoulder, "you are meant to be _enthralled."_

Guard Number Five let out an amused chuckle. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm more into Kingslayer here."

The Evil Queen's sexy pout fell as once as the Imp's eyes went very wide, chuckling as he pointed at the Kingslayer. Beneath his mask, Jaime felt himself go very, _very_ red. "Why when we come out do you always pull?" the Imp asked the Kingslayer, while the Evil Queen looked obviously irritated. The Kingslayer could not help but blush at this unexpected turn of events.

"Oh, I'm very flattered," he said nervously as the man started to lick his lips ravenously. "It's just I have a girlfriend, and I don't swing that way."

"Not even a little bit?" asked Guard Number Four, raising his eyebrow flirtatiously. "Because my name is Satin. You can have your number if you want."

Suddenly feeling very naked in his skin-tight super suit, the Kingslayer folded his arms across his crotch. "As I said, I have a girlfriend..." he mumbled, trying to look anywhere but into Satin's eyes, "but it is very nice of you to offer....

"Shame, you are just my type," smiled Satin, reaching out and resting a hand on the Kingslayer's bicep, squeezing gently. "Oooh, do you work out?"

Even though the Kingslayer sensed that Satin was just being all flirtatious to piss off the über confident Evil Queen, the Imp's temper had already taken a dark turn. "Oh, I have had enough of this," he huffed, irritated, just as a giant a dustbin came soaring through the air at a breath taking speed. It crashed into Satin and shoved him off his feet, spilling rubbish and mess all over the ground. Satin went flying backwards in a dramatic arc, almost as if he had the power of flight, before his head went cracking back on the pavement, knocking him out cold.

"Tyrion!" squawked the Kingslayer, horrified. "What did you do that for? He was only being friendly!"

Tyrion gave the Kingslayer a firm look. "Firstly, when we are out on missions, I am _The Imp,_ not Tyrion."

"Sorry," said the Kingslayer apologetically.

"And secondly, it was just our luck to be confronted by a gay guard, meaning the Evil Queen's power wouldn't work," said the Imp, which set the Evil Queen nodding in agreement. "Whacking your new boyfriend on the head with a dustbin was the only way we were going to get inside."

Jaime furrowed his brown. "Satin seemed very nice. We might have been able to talk him around..."

"This is not the time for you to have a bisexual awakening!" hissed the Evil Queen, grabbing the Kingslayer's arm to pull him towards the door. "The Imp is right; we've got to get inside."

Mumbling a quick _sorry_ to the incredibly handsome but incredibly unconscious Satin, the Kingslayer followed the Evil Queen, the Imp, and the four lovelorn guards into the lobby of City Hall. Despite the fairly late hour, the room was fairly crowded with employees of the city council, rounding out for the day. Using the element of surprise, the Evil Queen immediately sprang into action. With a click of her fingers, the four guards lifted up their guns and pointed them into the crowd, doing a very good impression of bank robbers.

"EVERYONE FREEZE!" the hypnotised slaves shouted at once, loud enough that it rang around the cool marble of the entrance like a siren, forcing everybody to pay attention. Once they had quiet, the Evil Queen stepped forward, relishing the limelight.

"I am sorry to inform everyone that this is a takeover, and if you want to live, you are going to have to do exactly what we say."

As the Kingslayer expected, the Evil Queen's instruction set off a ripple of panic throughout the assembled crowd.

"It's the Sibling Squad!" gasped one woman nearby, horrified.

Somebody else screamed. "We're all going to die!"

From that, the entire room exploded into terrified chatter, which was only silenced once the Imp used his powers to fling a vase of flowers that was sitting on the reception desk against the wall. The sound of shattering glass quietened everyone at once, allowing the Sibling Squad control of the room once more. "Nobody is going to die if you do what we say," said the Imp loudly, causing everyone to look at him with fear in their eyes. "If everybody would follow my lovely sister and her four new guards here into the front conference room, nobody will be in any danger at all. We are not cold blooded murderers, after all."

A ripple of disagreement trailed throughout the room at that statement, which was eventually given voice by a harried looking man in a workaday suit. "You might not have killed anyone, Imp, but the Kingslayer has. He murdered Aerys Targaryen, who he was sworn to protect, and everybody knows it! He's a villain!"

That the only good thing that Jaime Lannister had ever done was being talked down so horribly would have normally riled the Kingslayer, but this time it made him see red. The Sibling Squad were being so careful not to hurt anyone - well, apart from conking Satin on the head with a dustbin - that idiots casually calling him a villain mad him break out into a frothing, seething rage. Forgetting the Imp's plan to orderly lead the hostages into the conference room, the Kingslayer sped over to the man who had just called him a murderer faster than a speeding bullet, grabbed him by the collar, hoisted him up from the floor, and watched his feet dance in a type of dangling panic.

"What did you just call me?" spat the Kingslayer, his rage overcoming him. Killing Aerys had been the worst and best thing he had ever done, so to hear it be regarded as the action of a villain cut deep. When the man did not instantly respond, the Kingslayer tried again. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?"

"A villain!" the man responded, clearly unable to lie even though the Kingslayer almost had him by the throat. "You are a villain! And everybody knows it!"

At that exclamation, a series of images went streaming through the Kingslayer's mind... The smoky dark room in which Aerys had died... Tywin Lannister's cool, harsh gaze... The knife stained with Aerys' blood that the Kingslayer had briefly considered turning on himself... The mask that he wore every time he came out to perform to the world as the villainous Kingslayer, complete with his gleaming white cloak...

_Was it the white cloak that soiled me, or the other way round?_

Yet there were other things that Jaime Lannister thought of... His mother, long dead, who used to sing him lullabies... His brother and sister, neither of them wearing their masks, just watching stupid stuff on the TV... His girlfriend, his Brienne, who was always telling him how lovely he was and how happy he made her...

It was the thought of her blue eyes that made Jaime put the man down.

"Get in the conference room now," he growled, his voice low. When the man just stared at him incredulously, the Kingslayer snapped. "NOW. DO WHAT THE IMP SAYS! GET IN THE BLOODY FRONT CONFERENCE ROOM BEFORE YOU FIND OUT HOW MUCH OF A VILLAIN I REALLY AM!"

At that exclamation, Cersei clicked her fingers once more, causing the four guards to cock their guns in unison. The sound, which was an almost universal symbol meaning _this-shit-is-gonna-go-down_ made everyone in the lobby react as one and start heading over to the conference room like a herd of terrified sheep. Relishing her power, the Evil Queen began to act like an overly enthusiastic flight attendant, directing the hostages where she wanted them complete with hand signals and a sing-song voice.

"If everybody could please make their way to the conference room, or my lovely assistants here will start blowing some brains out."

A particularly brave woman who was passing by muttered "I thought you said you weren't villains" under her breath.

The Evil Queen gave her a sunny smile. "My brothers might be squeamish about drawing blood, but I have been tested for extreme narcissism, sociopathy, and psychopathy, and I can assure you I scored highly on all three counts. My psychologists were positively _terrified."_

That outlining of her capabilities shut the woman up quickly, and before long the Sibling Squad found that the Evil Queen's new slaves had just directed everybody into the conference room without much fuss. The Evil Queen grinned at her brothers in triumph.

"I have upheld my end of the deal," she said, flicking her hair over her shoulder, "so you two better go and unleash that virus on the unsuspecting computer systems of City Hall."

While Tyrion instantly made to go off in the direction of the main staircase, the Kingslayer held him back. "Will you be alright on your own, Cers?"

"Of course, I have my slaves," she beamed, turning to look at the door the four guards had just exited through. "And, who knows, while I am in the conference room with all the hostages, I might make a few more."

Giving the Kingslayer and the Imp one more happy smile, the Evil Queen headed off into the conference room, leaving her brothers alone in the empty forum. Wanting to get this over as quick as possible so he could go home and call Brienne, the Kingslayer turned to the Imp. "Lead on, little bro," he said casually. "I'll follow your lead."

Having studied the map of City Hall quite extensively, the Imp knew the way to the central Control Room. Leaving Cersei with her four burly guards and the hostages, Jaime followed Tyrion up several flights of stairs until they eventually arrived where they needed to be. The corridor which led to the Control Room was long and minimalist in style, punctuated only by one door that had a fiendishly complicated lock affixed to it.

"It looks like we are here," said the Imp grimly, walking forward to study the lock. "Gods, this is complicated."

"Could we just kick it down?" suggested the Kingslayer, afraid that the Imp using his powers on the lock would take forever.

While the Kingslayer had thought that was an interesting suggestion, the Imp made a dismissive snorting sound. "I am sure City Hall has put this lock here so you can't just kick the door down. That's always you Jaime; cutting straight through a knot when the more elegant thing to do would be untying it."

"Alright, whatever," huffed the Kingslayer, folding his arms across his chest, "but can you please hurry up? I would like to go home and ring Brienne before she goes to sleep."

The Imp gave his brother a teasing look. "You are totally whipped, you know that, don't you?"

Before the Kingslayer had a chance to reply, the Imp closed his eyes and pressed his fingers into his temples, clearly focussing the mind in an attempt to open the door. The Kingslayer could only watch and listen as the mechanics behind the lock slowly began to open at his brother's instruction, every _click_ coming from within getting higher and higher in pitch as the room became totally unguarded. Once the last mechanical noise had sounded, the Imp opened his eyes. "It is done," he said proudly, before retrieving the USB stick from inside the collar of his super suit. "I'll be as quick as I can. Let me know if there are any problems."

The two brothers exchanged a quick nod before the Imp opened the heavy door and disappeared inside the office, armed with the USB stick. Pushing the door to, the Kingslayer went and leant against the wall, folding his arms as he did so. As a glorified bodyguard, there was little more he could do other than stand and wait for the Imp to be finished. Drawn into daydreams, the Kingslayer couldn't help but wonder if Brienne would be able to get tickets for the stargazing night at the Rosby ruins. He thought it could be cool if they could take a picnic, snuggle up, and learn about planets. Brienne had such an open mind and hunger for learning that he loved sharing interesting things with her, because she always found a way of making him think about the topic differently...

"Urgh, _you_ are here."

Awoken from his thoughts about Brienne by the interruption, the Kingslayer looked up to find the Blue Knight marching down the corridor towards him, her mouth set in a stern line. Despite the fact Jaime was rueing the fact he could not spend the evening with Brienne, the Kingslayer's mood perked up at once when he realised his favourite plaything had finally arrived.

 _So much better than Flower Power,_ he thought happily.

"Hello," he purred, standing up to his full height and blocking her from getting anywhere near the door to the Control Room. "What are you doing here?"

Her look was filled with nothing but venom as she stared at him, her top lip curling into a snarl. "Kingslayer, why do you always have to ruin my evenings? I was going to spend tonight coming up with an interesting date to go on with my boyfriend this weekend; instead, I have just had to stop four guards fighting to the death for the Evil Queen's affections, and now it looks like I am going to have to punch you in the face _very hard_ to find out why you are skulking outside that room."

Amused, the Kingslayer grinned at her. "Or you could just ask me nicely. Sometimes honey is better than vinegar. I might just tell you if you are sweet to me."

"I think I would prefer just to punch you," she said swiftly, her gaze burning. "You have a very punchable face."

The Kingslayer's smile grew bigger, making sure to show off his dimples. Women liked his dimples, after all. "Aww, really? But then you might ruin my good looks."

"You are _not_ handsome," the Blue Knight said firmly, subtly getting into a fighting stance. "Not even the slightest little bit."

With the anticipation building between them, the Kingslayer smirked. "Keep telling yourself that, but I know you better than anyone. I am your arch-nemesis, and yet you still look at me like you want to either murder me or throw me down and kiss me, and that heated mix of emotions inside you just means you secretly really want to fuck me."

In response to that statement, the Blue Knight ground her teeth together so firmly that the Kingslayer could almost hear it. "No I don't," she hissed angrily, drawing her fists into tight little balls balls. "I don't want to fuck you and you are _not_ my arch-nemesis. I don't care about you in the slightest."

The Kingslayer knew there was only one more little thing that he would have to say before the Blue Knight totally lost it and tried to grind him into the ground. Wanting to end this thrumming tension that was spinning between them, the Kingslayer could not help but go to the one place that would surely make her go mad and slam him against the wall.

"Whatever you say... _wench."_

Just as he had anticipated, the Blue Knight snapped at that familiar, flirtatious nickname. Hurling herself forward like an angry ox, the Blue Knight went to punch him, but the Kingslayer was quicker, and he used his powers to spin just out of her reach in a whirl of golden light.

"Woah, sweetling. Haven't you learnt? When dancing with me, speed and agility are all that matter."

"Are you trying to tell me you have premature ejaculation problems?" she spat, finally hitting back with something cutting.

The Kingslayer laughed as he twirled round behind her, as if they were partners in a strange waltz. Wanting to prove a point about the importance of agility, he drew both arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, whispering. "Oh wench, I could go for _hours_ if you ever gave me the chance."

And then the game was on. Enraged and infuriated, the Blue Knight let out a cry of fury as the Kingslayer performed his next move and pirouetted out of her reach. She then followed by attacking him with a series of high-powered but ultimately clumsy punches, which allowed him to repeatedly dance out of her reach, balletic and beautiful. Yet the Kingslayer was not above playing dirty. In order to piss her off, every time the Blue Knight started flagging, the Kingslayer kept tapping her on the arse, which only made her even more outraged.

"STOP. TAPPING. MY. ARSE!" she thundered, puncturing the sentence with attempts to land a blow on the Kingslayer's taunting, teasing face.

Swerved out the way of every single blow, the Kingslayer grinned. "Why? We both like it. You can tap my ass if you want."

Enraged at the double entendre, the Blue Knight tried to seize the initiative once more and roared as she charged at him. To the Kingslayer's ears, her growl was deep and strangely sexual, so he was taken off guard as she came thundering towards him. Unable to keep his balance at the sheer strength of her attack, the Kingslayer tumbled to the floor under the Blue Knight's heft in a whirl of limbs, her thighs instantly clamping around his hips to keep him still as she put all her weight on her shoulders in order to pin him to the floor.

"You _infuriate_ me," she shouted, straddling him in such way that it only succeeded in reminding Jaime of how Brienne had done a very similar thing over the weekend. "There is nothing going on here. I don't hold you in a higher regard than my other enemies - the Kraken, the Red Witch, the Hound, whoever - because I don't think of you in a different way from them because I don't _care_ about you. You are a menace who needs to be in prison, so I don't waste my time thinking about you _at all."_

The Kingslayer knew that was a total lie, as the Blue Knight's cheeks were flushed with something other than exertion as she sat astride him, her chest expanding and contracting in great, heaving breaths. "You sure, wench?" he asked, teasingly. "Because from where I'm standing - well, from where I am lying under you, while you are straddling me like you want to ride me - it seems pretty undeniable that I turn you on, and you do the same to me."

As if to prove it, the Kingslayer did to the Blue Knight what Jaime had done to Brienne a few days previously and bucked his hips up to show her how excited he was. As expected, the Blue Knight looked horribly embarrassed and jumped off him so quickly an observer would have thought that he burned her.

"You do _not_ turn me on," spat the Blue Knight as the Kingslayer scrambled to his feet. "I have a boyfriend who I love very, _very_ much and I am entirely his. I'm only into _him,_ so you don't even figure in who I am attracted to."

Given how furious she looked, the Kingslayer could not help but laugh. "If you say so, wench, but I think you are being incredibly naive. I have a girlfriend too and I am totally devoted to her, but you are being downright ridiculous if you try to pretend that I don't turn you on. Sometimes, people are attracted to people who are not their partners, so it's fine if you find it fucking _sexy_ when we wrestle... because I do too."

The Kingslayer had only meant to tease her in order to put her off balance and make her an easier opponent to fight, but she did not seem to take it that way. Indeed, he had not anticipated the sheer level of anger his flirtatious comments would arouse in the Blue Knight, as suddenly she came hurtling towards him, putting all of her weight and strength behind her balled fist that went careering into the centre of his chest. The force of the punch caused the Kingslayer to be blown off his feet and propelled him halfway down the corridor, sending his mask flying off his face, skittering across the floor with a soft _tap-tap-tap_. Having to make a quick choice between defence and anonymity, Jaime scrambled to his feet, bringing his fists up to protect his face. Knowing the Blue Knight, Jaime did not doubt for a second that she wouldn't give him any time to defend himself, so made sure he was in a protective stance right away.

Gazing into her blue eyes - normally so blue, calm, and pretty - Jaime waited for a punch... but it never came. Instead, the Blue Knight dropped both her hands to her sides and stared at him incredulously, her mouth falling open in the process. It looked almost like shock. Given this sudden turnaround in feeling, Jaime couldn't help but laugh.

"Surprised there is a real person underneath this mask, wench?" he asked tauntingly, as she seemingly gave up on every effort to fight him. Instead, all the tension had gone from her body until she was as floppy as a fish, and she was gazing at him, stupefied. The longer it went on, the more unnerving Jaime found it. "Did you really expect me to be a monster, with horns and fangs?"

She blinked exaggeratedly, as if his comment had just awoken her from a trance. It took her a few more moments of opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish for her to eventually come up with an answer. "I... you... we..."

"We?" Jaime parried back at once. "I thought there was no _we._ I thought I wasn't your arch-nemesis."

"You _aren't_ my archnemesis," she snapped in a strange tone that was halfway between rage and sadness. "You are my..."

"Yes?"

The Blue Knight stared at him for a few moments longer - a lingering, _longing_ look in her eyes - until she broke their shared gaze and turned away. "I've got to go."

That sudden volte-face threw Jaime entirely. "What? But you haven't prevented whatever evil plan I am up to yet."

"I know," she said distractedly, as if she did not care about the Sibling Squad's attempt to rig the election at all. For the first time ever,Jaime really began to worry he wasn't the Blue Knight's archnemesis, but just a run of the mill criminal she could ignore without a second thought.

"Wench..."

"I've got important stuff to do."

"Like what?"

That question seemed too much for his favourite Caped Crusader to deal with that the present time. Heading away from him, the Blue Knight's cape billowed behind her, so Jaime dropped all pretence at fighting in order to grab her hand and turn her around to face him. As ever, her touch was electric, and this time even she seemed to notice it. Fear bloomed in her eyes, so she shook her hand out of his grasp.

"I've got to go..." she muttered, retreating from him like a wounded animal. "I've got to... water my fish."

"Water your fish?"

"WATER. MY. FISH," she repeated loudly, obviously deciding sticking with the ridiculous story was the best way to deal with the fact that she had just discovered the Kingslayer was an actual human being and not just a vengeful wraith behind his mask.

Not understanding her reaction, Jaime just stared at her confusedly. "But...?"

"I'll see you around," she said sharply, still not looking at him.

"See you around?" Jaime retorted, surprised. "We don't _see each other around,_ wench. We're not so casual as that. We have confrontations fit for archenemies every couple of weeks that are filled with sexual tensions and erotically charged fights, do keep up."

Normally if he had said something like that, the Blue Knight would be armed with some quip, or a cutting insistence that she did not care for him at all. Now, however, she looked dazed, confused, and a little lost.

"Just... I need to go... let me go..."

Completely baffled by the fact she had entirely given up on attempting to get into the room behind him to foil the Sibling Squad's plan, Jaime just watched, bemused, as she turned away from him and walked down the corridor, entirely abandoning her duty to kick him in the nuts for the good of the citizens of King's Landing. Once she had rounded the corner, Jaime knelt down to pick up his mask. Putting it back on, he barely had time to evaluate his loss of anonymity as he was still parsing her reaction in order to work out what she was actually feeling.

 _Is she finding it difficult to think of me as a human being, when she has always seen me as a (sexy) masked bandit?_ the Kingslayer wondered, running his hand through his hair.

Before he could come up with an answer to that question, however, the Imp exited the office right behind the Kingslayer, forcing him out of his reverie and making him jump.

"Woah, bro," said the Imp, steadying him with a hand rested on his back. "I thought I heard fighting out here. Where has the Blue Knight gone?"

At his brother's question, the Kingslayer looked back the way she had just disappeared. For a moment, it almost had seemed like she was the one with super speed. "She said she had to go and water her fish."

"What?" asked the Imp confusedly.

"I don't know, but that's what she said," retorted the Kingslayer, slightly irritated. Not really wanting to get into the Blue Knight's strange reaction on seeing his face - _did she think he was ugly?_ \- the Kingslayer turned to Tyrion and decided to focus on their mission. "Did it work? Did you upload the virus to the system?"

"I think so," said the Imp slowly, as an easy look that greatly troubled the Kingslayer crossed his face. "But I don't see it holding; I don't think Petyr Baelish's plan is all it is cracked up to be."

The Kingslayer furrowed his brow. "Why?"

"Someone will work out the purpose of the virus before too long and put things right," replied Tyrion, almost disinterestedly. "Anyway, that's not our problem. We've done what we have come here to accomplish, so we should probably go and rescue the Evil Queen. Who knows how many of those hostages are in love with her by now?"

"True," said the Kingslayer distantly, his mind still on the Blue Knight.

As the Imp headed off in the direction of the stairs leading down to where the Evil Queen was keeping the hostages, the Kingslayer was obliged to follow, but he could not help but think of the strange light in the Blue Knight's eyes. Her reaction to his true face had been so strange, and he could not put his finger on why it disturbed him so.

 _Maybe she was just surprised at how good looking I am,_ he thought, trying to soothe himself. _Yes, that will be it. It is all about how hot I am._

_Surely._

"Come on bro," said the Imp on noticing that the Kingslayer had not moved. "We need to get out of here."

Shaking his head in an attempt to shuck off his growing feelings of worry, the Kingslayer tried to pretend he was not effected by what had just happened between him and the Blue Knight. "Okay, I'm just coming."

Padding after the Imp, the Kingslayer pretended to be positive, but in reality, Jaime's insides were churning in memory of the emotion that had been shining in the Blue Knight's sapphire eyes.

 _What does it mean?_ he wondered.

_What does her reaction mean?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As ever, I would love to hear what you think about this one in the form of a comment or kudos! How do you think Brienne is reacting to this revelation?


	13. Boyfriend Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After discovering the Kingslayer's true identity, Brienne reels from the revelation...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for coming back for this chapter! I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

The night after she found out who her boyfriend really was, Brienne laid in her bed staring at her ceiling without sleeping a wink.

 _Jaime is the Kingslayer,_ she thought, that idea settling in her stomach like a heavy stone. _The Kingslayer is Jaime. How did I not spot it?_

Looking back, it should have been obvious. Like her boyfriend, the Kingslayer moved in an easy, graceful way that made him appear a dancer. She had also often marvelled at Jaime's quick reflexes - in particular, the way in which he had caught her falling champagne glass on the evening he met Sansa and Pod - which she could now attribute to his super speed. 

_Jaime is the Kingslayer. The Kingslayer is Jaime. Oh gods._

How could this have happened? She was always so vigilant, so careful. Before he had died, her father had impressed upon her the importance of being very watchful about who she admitted into her circle of trust. In fact, before Jaime, Brienne had hardly permitted _anyone_ to venture close. She had inherited Pod from her father along with Evenfall Manor, all the furniture, and the powers of the Blue Knight, so she had not needed to cultivate that nearness. And she had not told Sansa, her closest friend, anything approaching the truth. Yet with Jaime, Brienne had allowed herself to be vulnerable and become drunk on his love stories, mapped out under stars and over conversations about historical ruins. She was usually not so foolish. How had the Kingslayer managed to slip his way under her guard, so close that she had been on the verge of telling him everything?

 _Gods, is this a plot?_ she thought suddenly, feeling quite sick. _Was this a plan all along?_

It had always been unbelievable that Jaime would want someone like her; he was beautiful, fun, and carefree, whereas she was ugly, boring, and conservative. Had this been a trick cooked up between the Kingslayer, the Evil Queen, and the Imp to trap her and make her weak?

 _No,_ Brienne told herself in an attempt to keep calm. _He's a supervillain, but surely he can't be that cruel, can he? Jaime cares for me... Jaime cares for me..._

Brienne wanted to believe that so badly; she needed to trust that when Jaime kissed her, when he held her in his arms, when he nuzzled her fevered flesh, when he fucked her, that he really truly loved her. Yet if Jaime loved her, that meant the Kingslayer loved her. And if the Kingslayer loved her, that meant a _murderer_ loved her, and that she had let him touch her with his blood soaked hands; the hands which had rammed a knife between Aerys Targaryen's shoulder blades and slit his throat for good measure.

When the sun began to rise, Brienne realised that she had not slept a wink all night, and it was all Jaime's fault. Jaime and the Kingslayer's.

 _They're the same person,_ Brienne thought sadly. _Jaime isn't real... not at all..._

As King's Landing's saviour, Brienne knew what it was like to live behind a veil, after all. When she was the Blue Knight, she was everything she had ever wanted to be. Masked and dangerous, she could be brave, cutting, and confident in a way that plain, boring Brienne Tarth never was. In some respects, the Blue Knight was more real than Brienne ever could be. It had been a terrible lie to keep that part of herself from Jaime, as she was aware that the Blue Knight was much a part of her as Brienne Tarth was. So knowing he had done the same to her...

 _Jaime is the Kingslayer and the Kingslayer is Jaime,_ she reminded herself once more, just to let that pain slice into her flesh an inch deeper. _Jaime is the Kingslayer and the Kingslayer is Jaime. How did I not notice?_

While Brienne felt overwhelmed by the news, there was also a tiny part of her that was relieved. The Kingslayer _had_ been right, she _did_ find it sexy when they wrestled and she _had_ enjoyed their one brief kiss, so to know it was her boyfriend that she was attracted to under that mask was strangely liberating. It meant that this whole time, she hadn't been emotionally betraying Jaime someone else. Instead, she had just been attracted to him and had just convinced her boyfriend to role play as himself so she could scratch that itch.

 _Oh gods, Jaime is the Kingslayer, and the Kingslayer is Jaime, and I had Jaime roleplay as the Kingslayer and I still did not put it together,_ she thought, the embarrassment overcoming her in one big wave. _Am I the biggest idiot who has ever lived?_

_Probably._

Sometime later, Brienne realised she should be getting up for work, but found she just couldn't bring herself to. There were too many emotions swirling around her heart - anger, betrayal, relief, hurt - for her to face going to the office and pretending everything was a-okay. Consequently, she gave into her weakest impulses and ended up contacting Human Resources, telling them she had a stomach bug and would not be coming in today.

 _Lying in bed is better than facing reality,_ she thought. _Lying in bed is better than facing him._

Emotional and tired, Brienne then slept a little more, before she was woken up later by her phone buzzing. Expecting it to be a response from the HR department, she rolled over to check it, and in doing so got the shock of her life.

 _Jaime:_ Hey B, can I come over tonight? I miss you already x

Brienne's heart jumped to her throat. The _Kingslayer_ was texting her, in the way that Jaime used to; all cutesy and caring and boyfriend like. It made her feel quite queasy, so she put her phone on her bedside and then cuddled up with her pillow and forced herself to go to sleep.

Oblivion was better than facing the truth.

When she woke up hours later, there was a few seconds where she forgot everything that had happened. She was still Brienne, he was still Jaime, and they were in love and that was all that mattered. That vision all came crashing down when her phone buzzed once again and alerted her to all the messages she had missed from Jaime.

 _Jaime:_ Yo, are you okay?

 _Jaime:_ Love u 💗

 _Jaime:_ Hey, are you even awake?

 _Jaime:_ Brienne???

 _Jaime:_ B, do you wanna meet up later? To convince you, I am offering a lil bit of 👅👅👅.

 _Jaime:_ Will you answer me pls? I'm getting worried now.

Sitting up, Brienne rubbed her eyes. According to her phone, it was now 11am. Brienne normally messaged her boyfriend in the morning before they both went to work, hence his distress, but given everything that happened Jaime barely felt like her boyfriend anymore. He was an interloper, a man in a mask, a thief who had snuck in during the night and stolen her heart.

No longer Jaime. _Kingslayer._

She needed to hold him off.

 _Brienne:_ Sorry. I'm sick.

 _Jaime:_ Boo, you whore!

 _Brienne:_ What?

 _Jaime:_ Ah it's just a Mean Maidens quote.

 _Brienne:_ Right.

 _Jaime:_ In all seriousness AWWWWWW. Poor B.

 _Brienne:_ Thanks.

 _Jaime:_ My lunch break is soon. I'll bunk off and come see you.

Brienne's stomach dropped like a stone at that offer. She was not ready to see Jaime yet, so she tried to find the words to stall him.

 _Brienne:_ No, you don't have to do that.

 _Jaime:_ I don't have to, but I _want_ to 🥰

 _Brienne:_ It's fine. Stay at work.

Not wanting to talk to him anymore, Brienne turned her phone off and rolled over, pulling the duvet over her head. Part of her wanted to go and unburden herself to someone but... who could she talk to? Sansa was as unaware of her true identity, and Podrick would look at her with such disappointment in his eyes that Brienne would feel a failure. Worst of all, she could hear her father's voice, gentle but sonorous, reminding her that with her powers came a great responsibility and part of that responsibility was to pick her partner in life well.

 _Jaime has been a terrible choice,_ thought Brienne sadly. _Even though he is sweet, kind, treats me well, and is a beast between the sheets._

Only safe in sleep, Brienne let slumber take her once more. As she moved away from the waking world, she was washed away by dreams. This time, she was in the woods in the dark depths of the trees, a noose hanging around her neck. Ravens ricocheted into the air, black against the sky. There was a woman who looked familiar with dead eyes and a terrifying stare, who could only speak by clasping her skeletal fingers around her throat.

"The Kingslayer or Jaime. Who do you want to save?"

Tears came to Brienne's eyes. "They are the same person. I can't separate them. Both are the shadow, and both the man..."

"Choose."

"Please, I..."

" _Choose."_

"I can't..."

" _CHOOSE_."

" _SWOOOORRRDDD!!!"_

"Hey, hey, calm down, it's okay, I'm here."

Brienne opened her eyes, only to find her limbs were all over the place as she was mid-flail. Blinking rapidly, she was unable to focus, as her heart was beating at the rate of knots and her breathing was shallow and alarmed. When she managed to gain control of herself, however, Brienne began to panic even more, as Jaime was leaning over her, the back of his hand on her forehead, wearing a concerned look. Golden haired, green-eyed, and lithe, her boyfriend was utterly beautiful, and only an idiot would not spot he was the Kingslayer the moment they laid eyes on him.

_An idiot in love..._

Horrified by him and herself, Brienne pulled away from Jaime at once. "What are you doing here?" she asked, suddenly conscious that the entrance to the Knight Cave was feet away from where Jai - the _Kingslayer_ \- was standing.

In spite of her aggressive tone, Jaime smiled at her. "I told you, I bunked off work to come and see you."

"I said you didn't need to," replied Brienne, drawing the covers up around her as a kind of primitive defence from him. "That you didn't have to."

"Yeah, but I wanted to," smiled Jaime, hopping down onto the bed and wrapping his arms around her. Brienne could not help but freeze. "I thought you would need looking after, and it seems I was right because I caught you in the middle of having a nightmare. What was it about?"

 _You,_ she thought.

Although he was so close to her, his nose nuzzled again her cheek, Brienne could not bring herself to look Jaime in the eye. It would be too much like staring into the sun while trying to see an eclipse; too blinding, too beautiful, too close to the truth. It would also make her feel like a fool.

"Nothing interesting, I just have a fever and I always dream all sorts of weird stuff when I have a fever," she said, trying to wiggle out of his embrace. "You can go if you want. I might be contagious, I might..."

Laughing at her strange mood, Jaime pressed a kiss onto her cheek. It was so sweet and affectionate that it stilled Brienne at once. "I don't care. You are my girlfriend. If there is anyone in the world that I would be happy to pick contagious diseases off, it's you... excluding STD's of course, because that would suggest that you haven't been entirely faithful and, I'm sorry to tell you this, but you are MINE!!!"

Before Brienne could stop him, Jaime rolled on top of her and started giving her outlandish, silly kisses as if to prove his point. At first, Brienne tried to bat him away, but with every kiss she was reminded how warm, soft, and perfect he was, and she felt herself melting into him. As the closeness became too much, Jaime stopped mucking around and his kisses became heated, fervent, and worshipful, his stubble rubbing against her skin in a way that was both irritating and so, so hot. _Jaime, Jaime, Jaime,_ Brienne thought as his hand slipped from her face and began to journey down her body. A familiar aching heat pooled in her belly and between her thighs. He seemed to sense that, as he suddenly drew back and went for the hem of her nightdress. In one swift movement, he revealed both her breasts and her cunt, and could do nothing but let out a sigh of satisfaction as she felt his burning gaze on her skin.

"I know what will make you feel better," Jaime murmured, greedily starting to kiss her breasts, beginning at the underside before taking her nipple into his mouth.

Brienne gasped. Truly, she had never known a pleasure like Jaime.

As she moaned and sighed, Jaime started to journey down her body along a familiar path of kisses, bites, and caresses, that had Brienne keening against him. Although they had not been together long, but they had done this enough times now that they knew each other's bodies well enough that Jaime was aware of what types of teasing would make her hot. When he reached her cunt, Jaime pulled her into a more comfortable position and then pushed her thighs open, not giving her a moment before he was on her with lips, teeth, and tongue.

"Oh, Jaime," Brienne breathed, giving into his onslaught.

In response, Jaime made an animalistic growl at the back of his throat which caused her to look down at him. It truly was a splendid sight. Jaime was in-between her thighs; wanting her, loving her, giving her pleasure. Yet the closer she looked, the easier it was not to see him - the man she loved - but the Kingslayer, the villain who had planted himself in her life like a cuckoo in a nest.

"Stop," Brienne begged, grasping at his hair and physically pulling him from her swollen and tender flesh. "I said STOP!"

Jaime halted his activities at once, looking up confusedly. "Don't you like that?" He looked strangely hurt.

"Yes, of course I do," Brienne replied, going red, "but not _now..._ I'm sick."

"Does cunnilingus not help when you're sick?" he asked cheekily, which caused her to throw one of her nearby scatter cushions at him.

"No it doesn't!" she declared huffily, "and don't call it _cunnilingus._ That's a horrible word."

In spite of desisting, Jaime just looked immensely pleased with himself as he came and sat next to her. "Okay, no _cunnilingus,_ " he said, emphasising the word just to annoy her. "What about soup? I stopped off at the supermarket and got you some chilli soup, I thought it might make you feel better."

"Chilli soup?" asked Brienne, staring at him disbelievingly. "That sounds disgusting! And, anyway, you'll burn down the kitchen."

Jaime shook his head to deny that assumption. "No I won't. Pod can help me!"

"I don't even want chilli soup."

"Alright," said Jaime, re-evaluating his opinions. "I also brought chicken soup."

"I don't want chicken soup, either."

"What about a tea? I can make tea."

"I don't want--"

"I could run you a bath?" he suggested excitedly. "Oooh, I can wash your hair and scrub your back!"

His enthusiasm was a little overwhelming, especially considering it was not just coming from Jaime but the Kingslayer too. "Jaime, I don't need that..."

"Then what do you need?" he asked, a little exasperatedly. "You don't want me to get you off, you don't want tea or soup or a bath. What about chocolate? Or cake? I could go get you cake. There's a bakery nearby."

"Jaime, I--"

"Or a cuddle? Do you just want to cuddle? Because I am up for cuddling. I love cuddling, I--"

The thought of her and him cuddled up together on her bed, with her nightdress hoicked up halfway up her body and him spoon-feeding her soup was ridiculous. That image was bad enough when they were Jaime and Brienne, let alone the Kingslayer and the Blue Knight. If the King's Landing newspapers got a hold of this story, they would be having a field day!

"Can you just stop?" Brienne said suddenly, a little too loud considering they were just sitting beside each other on the bed. "For one second?"

His smile disappeared at once. "Brienne..."

"This is too much," she snapped, holding her hands up between them in some form of primitive defence. "Just too much!"

Momentarily, Brienne had thought that would be enough to push him away, but then she remembered who Jaime was and that he always found a way beneath her armour.

"Hey," he said gently, reaching up and brushing Brienne's cheek. "You can talk to me, you know? We are boyfriend and girlfriend, we are kinda in this together."

She dropped her hands to her side at once.

"We are?" asked Brienne, no longer sure if that was true.

"Yes, I--"

Before Jaime could finish his sentence, his phone rang. Sighing heavily, he tried to reach down and get his phone from his pocket, but found he was barred by Brienne's thigh. Reluctantly, Brienne moved away as he rolled his eyes and mouthed _one moment, it's my sister_ at her.

"Hey Cers, how's...? Uh huh... now? Can't you tell father we're busy? ... Oh for fuck's sake... but I'm with Brienne. She's not well. Father can... look, that's why I think _you_ should tell him to fuck off, because that way I don't have to be there... but Brienne's sick, I can't come."

She reached up and touched his arm; she had forgotten how thrilling and intimate it could be to touch him so gently. "I don't mind, you should go," she whispered, still not prepared to talk, and definitely not for the conversation that had been replaying over and over in her head and in her heart ever since the Kingslayer took his mask off _._ "If your father needs you..."

Jaime's expression continued to be pained as Cersei went on and on gabbling in his ear, but eventually he relented. "Fine. I'll be over in a minute. Just let me say goodbye to Brienne first... yes, I'll be there as soon as I can... you know I have my ways and means. Bye... bye... bye..."

Hanging up, Jaime chucked his phone back in his pocket and let out another dramatic sigh. "I have to go, Brienne. You know my father... how he is."

"It's fine," said Brienne, relieved that she would not have to continue to pretend everything was okay when it clearly wasn't. "Although I'm surprised your dad is demanding your attention now. Surely he knows you should be at work?"

Jaime chuckled sadly, before leaning forward to peck her on the lips. "Like that matters to him. Can I see you tomorrow?"

"If I'm better," replied Brienne, blushing with the lie. "I'll call you."

"Please do," smiled Jaime.

And then, after a few more kisses, Jaime left her bedroom in order to go and see his father. It was a great relief, but also left Brienne with even more questions. The man who had just burst into her private soliitude had been all kisses and soup and cuddles, the boyfriend she loved dearly. How could he switch that on and off so easily? One minute the man she adored, the next her deadliest enemy?

She got something approaching an answer later that evening when Pod poked his head around the door, a nervous expression on his face.

"Miss Brienne, I... are you still in your pyjamas?"

She sat up, knocking the duvet off in an attempt to look busy. "Yes, I've just not felt myself today."

"I bet Jaime visiting helped."

Brienne tried to nod, but she felt as if she were a puppet with her strings being pulled by someone else. "Yes, I suppose. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Her butler's expression darkened at once. "I am sorry to tell you that we have had a call from Catelyn Stark. Apparently, the Sibling Squad have broken into..."

"Of course they have!" muttered Brienne angrily, bile gathering underneath her words. "He was only here a few hours ago!"

Pod furrowed his brow. "Who was?"

"It doesn't matter," replied Brienne in an attempt to cover her embarrassment. "You said the Sibling Squad have done something."

Pod nodded before stepping fully into the room. "Yes. Catelyn Stark phoned and told me that they have just had an alert from their security systems at Winterfell Tower to tell them that the Sibling Squad have broken into the upper floor offices of her campaign headquarters. It looks like they are trying to interfere with the election again, so you need to get there quickly. We still don't know what they were doing at City Hall last night, so this might be your chance to find out."

Even though Podrick looked as if he was bordering on buoyed up and excited, a knot of dread parked itself in the centre of Brienne's chest. Yesterday, the Sibling Squad had got away with whatever they were trying to do because the Blue Knight had been so blindsided as to the Kingslayer's true identity. She could not let them cheat the law again today.

As she got out of bed, Brienne felt sick to her stomach.

She would have to face him again, with both of them behind their masks.

* * *

The dread had grown into a full blown volcano of emotions at the pit of the Blue Knight's stomach by the time she arrived at the Winterfell Tower. Luckily, the entire building was very quiet, which was strange as it was the centre of Catelyn Stark's political campaign.

 _Maybe everyone was wise enough to get out before my boyfriend and his heavies turned up,_ she thought bitterly, remembering how much fear the Kingslayer, the Imp, and the Evil Queen had caused amongst the hostages at City Hall and the Baelor Museum. _Maybe they are more sensible than me._

The foyer of the famous skyscraper was deserted, so Brienne took the lift up to the fifty-seventh floor just as Catelyn had described to Podrick. In the grainy CCTV camera footage, the Sibling Squad and broken in through smashing an upper floor window, but the Blue Knight could hardly work out how they had managed to even accomplish that defying of gravity.

_I guess I am going to find out._

The bell on the lift dinged to inform her that she had finally reached her destination, and she stepped out into an open plan office that looked like a giant fishbowl. The Sibling Squad were on the other side of the room, gathered around a computer that was shutting down, the Imp and the Evil Queen gleefully chatting. As ever, the Kingslayer looked disinterested.

"So we have the schedules?" asked the Evil Queen excitedly. "For Sansa and Arya and--"

"Yes," responded the Imp, irritated, "we have everything!"

"Well, what about...?"

However, at that moment, the Kingslayer interrupted their little conversation, as he was gazing across the room at the Blue Knight, wearing a smile that was so incredibly _Jaime_ that it almost hurt to look at him.

"Well, well, well, look who it is, the Blue Knight!" he said goadingly, stepping forward. "After last night's debacle, where you ran off like a terrified little girl, I was expecting someone else. The Young Wolf. The Lord Commander. _Flower Power_."

The suggestion that the Kingslayer might be spending this evening wrestling the pretty, perfect Flower Power to the floor got the Blue Knight's back up at once. "Oh? You prefer the girl who can make flowers grow out of her arse to me, do you?"

The Kingslayer laughed in what looked like genuine amusement. "Oh no, wench. You know that you are my one and only."

At that admittance, the Imp and the Evil Queen exchanged a disgusted look, causing Brienne to turn to them. It was only then that the Blue Knight noticed they both had suction cups on their hands.

"We best get going," said the Imp firmly, "or we will be in for seeing something really gross."

The Evil Queen nodded in agreement. "They are so lovey-dovey it is actually a little grim."

"We are _not_ lovey-dovey," huffed the Blue Knight furiously, her eyes once again trained on the Kingslayer. "We are just arch-enemies."

"Oh you admit it do you? Glad to hear it _at last,_ " said the Kingslayer cheekily, flashing one of his obnoxiously beautiful smiles at her. Once he was sure that statement had her all riled up, the Kingslayer turned to the Evil Queen and the Imp. "You two can go. I'll hold her off for a bit."

"You sure?" asked the Evil Queen. "We can wait if you want."

"Nah," replied the Kingslayer, "I can always run very fast. I'll see you soon."

As the Evil Queen and the Imp turned towards the window - suction cups at the ready, clearly prepared to scale the side of the skyscraper - the Blue Knight cut across them. "I can't just let you go. Who knows what you have stolen from that computer?"

"Nothing as important as what we took yesterday," responded the Imp with a smirk, "but it definitely gives us some interesting options to work with."

The Blue Knight was just about to answer him with a cutting comment about truth and justice, when the Kingslayer sped across the room - all lightning speed and golden light - covering the distance between the window and her in half a heartbeat.

"Don't worry," he purred from right in front of her, staring into her eyes from behind his mask. "I'll deal with the wench." When he looked at her like that - all soft but challenging - Brienne could not understand how she had ever mistaken the Kingslayer for anyone other than Jaime.

"My name is not _wench,"_ she huffed, as she watched the Imp and the Evil Queen each trying to help each other out of the broken window while staying securely suctioned to the building at all times. "And if you would be so kind, could you please stop your evil accomplices doing a Mission Impossible on the side of Winterfell Tower?"

The Evil Queen and the Imp continued to ignore her and, eventually, both successfully shimmied out the window, leaving the Blue Knight with the Kingslayer, who was still smiling hungrily at her.

"I'm afraid I can't stop them," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "And the only way _you_ are going to stop them, is if you torture me for information."

Although the Kingslayer was smiling goadingly at her, the idea of hurting Jaime all in the name of truth and justice now seemed strangely abhorrent. He did look beautiful in his gold and white super suit, after all. And Brienne loved him so much, even if the Blue Knight had to hide her heart under inches of armour and latex.

"Why do you have to be a villain?" she asked sadly, gazing into those perfect green eyes that belonged to both Jaime and the Kingslayer.

To her surprise, the Kingslayer outright laughed at that question. "Oh wench, that is so narrow minded of you. There is no good and evil; that is just a false dichotomy created by people who don't want to accept humanity for what it really is."

"Oh, and what is that?"

His joyful grin faltered for a moment. "Flawed."

It was then her turn to laugh, disappointed and bitter. "That is something a true villain would say to avoid taking responsibility for his actions."

As he swallowed, his Adam's Apple bobbed in his throat. Brienne could not help but recall all the times she had lathered it with kisses, and he had replied in kind. Maybe she truly had been offering her throat to a wolf with red roses.

"Wench," he said, almost affectionately, almost mockingly, "if you truly believe that of me, surely you would just come and fight me. I am a villain and you are a hero, after all."

"I'm not saying that..."

"Then what are you saying?" he purred, his voice still teasing. "That you hate me? That you want to define yourself against me? Because I'm not opposed to you being against me... not at all, especially if we are naked."

Her sadness was suddenly punctuated by a flash of anger. "I thought you said you had a girlfriend who you loved?" If Brienne thought about it, she knew Jaime had been emotionally unfaithful with the Blue Knight just as she had been emotionally unfaithful with the Kingslayer. That was something else they were going to have to deal with, if they ever even got to dealing with this.

"I do have a girlfriend I love, very much," he responded, momentarily allowing Brienne to see Jaime behind the Kingslayer's mask. His love for her was visible even from here. "But that is real, and this is just fantasy."

"This is not fantasy; this is real life!" the Blue Knight countered at once, angry that he treated his actions as the Kingslayer as so inconsequential. "Yesterday you broke into City Hall, and tonight you are here at Catelyn Stark's campaign headquarters. Your actions will have _consequences."_

"You seem to believe I have any choice in the matter," the Kingslayer replied, his tone betraying the fact he was wounded, but still rapier sharp. "We are all just pawns, wench, being rushed along in currents far stronger than ourselves. It would be futile to resist."

"Is that what you were doing when you killed Aerys Targaryen?" she asked, her eyes darkened in anger, "just being rushed along with current? Or did you make a choice in that moment to be a villain? In that split second when you cut his throat?"

For the first time since she had known him, the Kingslayer's expression grew tense, as if he was being backed into a corner. The emotion passed quickly, however, and he tried to seize the upper ground once more. "If you think my killing Aerys Targaryen was a great sin," the Kingslayer said slowly, his green eyes glittering, "then that suggests to me you are intensely naive, unable to see that there are gradients in morality, not just good and evil."

"There are no sliding scales, there is just a line. You are on one side, I the other."

"And you believe you are on the side of good? How modest of you!" the Kingslayer laughed, his head thrown back in amusement.

In his cruelty, his teasing, she no longer saw Jaime. "Of course I do! You have done so many bad things!"

"Good and evil are only a matter of perspective, wench, it's time you learnt that!"

His mocking, jaded outlook made Brienne see red. "I don't need to learn anything from you!"

"Then why don't you just hit me?" he asked, his smile growing bigger with every word. "Is it really that you don't think I'm all that bad? Or that you enjoyed that kiss we shared so much that you can't bear to hurt me."

The memory of the Kingslayer's kiss, hot and promising, mixed in her mind with the hundreds of kisses she had shared with Jaime. Loving. Sweet. Teasing. Joking. Passionate. Suddenly, every single one of them seemed nothing more than a design to trap her in a well of painful feelings that she had no escape from. At that horrible thought, she finally snapped, charging forward and tackling him as if this was a game of rugby. In a ball of limbs and capes, the Blue Knight went crashing down on top of the Kingslayer, capturing him between her thighs. Any other time, the Blue Knight would have laid a storm of punches and blows onto him, preventing whatever evil plan him, the Evil Queen, and the Imp were trying to unfurl. But in that moment, the Blue Knight no longer saw him, but Jaime.

How many times had he laid beneath her just like this after sex, armed with nothing but a satiated smile, vulnerability, and _I love you, I love you, I love you?_

"Oh, wench," grinned the Kingslayer, gazing up at the panting Blue Knight as if he was immensely proud of himself, "I love it when you get all aggressive. You should try it properly, if you think I'm so _evil._ "

Given how angry and hurt and overwhelmed she felt, that taunt was far, far too much.

"Just STOP!" she shouted furiously, towering above him in a pillar of raging, wounded pride. "Stop goading me into stuff! Stop being insufferable! Stop being so hateful! It doesn't suit you!"

The taunting smile on the Kingslayer's face fell the second the Blue Knight's eyes began to fill with tears. She hated herself sometimes, that he could make her this open, weak, and vulnerable. The Blue Knight always wore armour to protect herself from attack; yet this assault had been sneaky, as it had targeted her heart rather than her body.

As she began to cry, the Kingslayer sat up, suddenly bringing to mind the image of a very confused meerkat. "Hey," said the Kingslayer gently, reaching up and brushing the Blue Knight's cheek. "You can talk to me, you know? Even though we are arch-enemies, we are kinda in this together."

She fixed him with a teary, blue-eyed stare, remembering he had said something similar to her only a few hours before, when he was just Jaime and she was just Brienne. "We are?"

"Yes," the Kingslayer smiled, stroking his thumb along her cheekbone, just under the line of her mask. "There are so few of us who have superpowers, who really know what this is like... so, if something is preventing us being _us_ \- the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer - you can tell me."

At the sounding of their titles, the Blue Knight swallowed deeply and wrung her hands, her skin reddening. "I don't know where to start..."

"At the beginning," the Kingslayer suggested carefully, his expression soft. "Tell me why you reacted so strangely when I took off my mask. I'm just an average guy, why were you so horrified to see my face? You've been acting so weird ever since. Is it because you struggle seeing me as a real person?"

"It's not that..."

"Then what is it?" he asked, settling his hand underneath her chin so he could tilt her face up to look at him. "You can tell me. I won't bite."

She felt his fingers against her chin when it wobbled with emotion. "You really want to know?"

"Yes, of course I do," the Kingslayer replied, dropping his hand from her face so he could lean back and survey her. "Even though we are arch-enemies, I _care_ about you _._ It's not the same when you are acting all weird and won't fight me; so please, tell me what is going on."

She took a deep breath and lifted her hand to her face. The tips of her fingers caught on the edge of her mask, and it slipped off so easily, almost too easily, as if the barrier dividing the Blue Knight from Brienne had always been immaterial. The Kingslayer's mouth dropped open, his eyes going wide, as the Blue Knight suddenly became Brienne Tarth.

"This is my problem, Jaime," she sniffed, as he stared at her with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "That I am the Blue Knight and you are the Kingslayer."

 _Arch-enemies in love,_ she thought sadly, as Jaime continued to sit there in an incredulous silence. _Arch-enemies in love, who don't know what to do about it._

After a few more moments of disbelieving staring, Jaime eventually found the words that made perfect sense of the situation.

"Oh. Shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHH!!! They both know! What do you think? As ever, I would love to know in the form of a comment or kudos. Thanks so much for reading!


	14. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime and Brienne talk about their real identities...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is a little earlier than usual, but I thought you would like some resolution to that cliffhanger. I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

Eons passed.

As Jaime just stared and stared at her, feeling as if he had just been kicked in the head by a very heavy-footed horse, Bri - the _Blue Knight_ \- dropped her gaze, so she could watch herself wring her hands anxiously. It was clear she had no idea what to say in this situation, as she clamped her bottom lip between her teeth and began to chew at it quite furiously. In the time he had known her, Jaime had come to realise that gesture meant she felt supremely nervous and outmanoeuvred, so he guessed she would be on the defensive.

He would have to make the first move.

"Maybe the most annoying thing about all this is that Tyrion was right," he said lightly, attempting to inject some humour in the conversation. He hoped it would allow her to open up and talk about this; she often did a wonderful impression of a brick wall whenever he wanted to discuss something serious, after all.

Looking back up at him, Brienne furrowed her brow. "Tyrion was right? About what?"

"You being the Blue Knight."

That only made her even more confused. "How did he know I was the Blue Knight? We've only met once!"

Jaime scrunched up his face at that statement, the second he realised Brienne had not fully put it together yet. "You've met many more times than that."

"Have we?" Brienne asked, her bafflement blooming on her face. "When?"

"Tyrion... is very good at moving things with his mind."

Jaime could only watch as that revelation dawned in the Blue Knight's eyes, dull and dark. It was like a shadowed sunrise.

"Oh," Brienne said, looking down at her hands once more. It seemed she did not want to look at him as she pieced everything together. "And I suppose that makes Cersei the Evil Queen."

"Yeah, we are called the Sibling Squad for a reason."

That revelation settled uneasily in the air.

Silence. And more silence. Brienne looked so solemn that Jaime tried to fill it in with a joke.

"Although I always had a height advantage over Tyrion as kids, he was always very good at lobbing heavy objects at my head with his mind. And Cersei... well, it was pretty awkward when she was trying to get a grip of her powers as a teenager, but we got through it in the end." He considered that statement for a moment. "Not Cousin Lancel, though. He joined a cult because of what Cersei's powers did to him."

Brienne expelled a breath that could have been an attempt at laughter. "I always did think her power was the scariest of them all," she said distantly. No doubt she was thinking of all the hundreds of hostages Cersei had been able to corral into doing her bidding with just a flick of her hair. Jaime of course had always found Cersei's magic intimidating, but he knew there were worst things out there.

Worse people.

"You haven't met my father," replied Jaime darkly.

"He has powers too?"

"Yeah," he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Not nice ones. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy."

"Oh."

More silence.

As Jaime gazed at his girlfriend, who was still insistently straddling him, he could not help but notice how wonderful she looked. Wearing her armour, the Blue Knight seemed to him a goddess made flesh, but at the same time she had Brienne's blue eyes. They were red with tears and it made her look so soft and vulnerable that Jaime just wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that everything would be okay and that he would look after her, that they could talk this all through and make it right. It was seemingly not the time for such reassurances, however, as Brienne had questions.

"Is it because of your father that you became... the Kingslayer?"

Swallowing heavily, Jaime tried to find the words. There was so much wrapped up in that name: Kingslayer. The first time he donned the Kingslayer's cloak, Jaime had been using his powers for years. Indeed, Jaime had been quite young when his father had discovered his and Cersei's powers. Any normal father would have just let them be and grow into the world at their own pace. Not Tywin Lannister. He had sent the twins off to a boarding school in the far North run by a mad old professor called Brynden Rivers. Brynden's whole mantra had been about learning to fly, but Jaime couldn't fly, he could just run really fast. Therefore, instead of listening to rubbish lessons about ancient crows and magic ravens, Jaime spent most of his time bunking class and smoking with his friends; Gerold Hightower, Arthur Dayne, Lewyn Martell, Oswell Whent, Barristan Selmy, and Jonothor Darry. They had believed themselves so tough that they had created a band of brothers, who would use their powers for good one day...

Until Aerys Targaryen had come along and ruined everything.

"Partly, I suppose," he shrugged. "My father was the one who wanted me to develop my powers, to push myself as far as I could go."

Brienne's mouth became a tight little line. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Why did you become the _Kingslayer_?" she asked, her eyes meeting his in a gaze so condemning and cold that Jaime almost wanted to run away. "Why did you ram a knife into Aerys Targaryen's back? Why did you _murder_ an elected senator?"

That was a complicated question.

"It's not so simple as that..."

"It _is_ so simple," she said firmly, her thighs tightening around him to hold him in place. "You stuck a knife through a man's back and then slit his throat just to make sure he was dead, before putting on your new cape. You then became known as the Kingslayer because you had his blood on your hands. Why?"

_Burn them all..._

There was something in Brienne's eyes that made Jaime think this was not the time to talk about that part of his life. The smoke. The rage. The threats. From their very first date he had been aware that his girlfriend viewed the world in a very simplistic way - black and white, night and day, light and shadow - and therefore it was better to remind her of the good things that they had together. Consequently, he tried to direct her away from Aerys Targaryen and the shadows that surrounded him, towards the sunshine.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why did you become the Blue Knight?"

"My great-great grandfather touched a meteorite made of oily black stone," replied Brienne quickly, seemingly finding the scientific explanation the perfect response. "It must have mutated the Tarth family genes or something because... ya know... super strength."

"I should have put it together," said Jaime, shaking his head at his own stupidity and almost laughing in the process. Smiling would help her see past this, surely? "One of the things I enjoy most about when we have sex is how tight you hold onto me... in every sense of the word."

Some of Brienne's indignant fury passed from her face, to be exchanged with an embarrassed blush. She tried to deflect him. "If we are talking super powers, I could make a joke about premature ejaculation here."

Jaime made a joking grimaced expression. "Please don't. I like to think I have some talent in bed."

"You do, I always enjoy--" she said, before faltering suddenly.

"What?" asked Jaime teasingly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile. "Say it, wench. Say I satisfy you _sexually_."

Once more, Brienne flushed an embarrassmed red, but this time instead of engaging with him, she just retreated. Dismounting him, Brienne went to walk away from him, back towards the door. Not wanting her to put up walls and hide from him, Jaime scrambled to his feet. They needed to talk about this if there was ever going to be a chance in all Seven Hells for her to be okay with this. Due to his super powers, he reached her just before she reached the door, grabbing her wrist and forcing her to face him.

"Sorry, wench, I shouldn't have--"

"Don't call me wench!" she snapped, fury in her eyes where there had previously been melancholy and regret. "That's what the Kingslayer calls the Blue Knight."

That comment seemed vaguely ridiculous to Jaime. "In case you haven't noticed, we _are_ the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer, and you like me calling you wench," he insisted without hesitation. Before he had known the Blue Knight's true identity, he had never failed to spot how her cheeks used to flush every time he called her that slightly derogatory nickname. The Kingslayer had always found it tremendously cute.

Her embarrassed blooming crimson turned once again furious, and she narrowed her brilliant eyes at him as if to place him in the middle of the bulleye. "I do not like the Kingslayer, so I do not like it when he calls me wench. We are arch-enemies!"

"Glad you are acknowledging it at last," said Jaime tartly, remembering all the times the Blue Knight had denied that he was anything to her other an an average, everyday criminal. "But I do think you like the Kingslayer a little more than you are professing."

Brienne folded her arms across her chest, getting defensive. "What makes you say that?"

"Well," replied Jaime, stepping forward so they were intimately close, "just before you persuaded me to roleplay as _myself_ for you, you casually mentioned that you thought the Kingslayer was all quips and jawline and pure unbridled masculinity."

That flustered her, in a way that made Jaime feel all warm inside. "Yeah, well you find the Blue Knight sexy too!" she protested weakly, as if that was a good comeback.

"I've never denied it," said Jaime, almost laughing at how horrified Brienne looked at the idea that her own boyfriend fancied her. "When you and me wrestle, wench, it is so fucking hot I can't bear it. Cersei and Tyrion take the piss out of me for it all the time, but I don't care. I am attracted to the Blue Knight, and it seems you are attracted to the Kingslayer, so much so that we both happily roleplayed as each other _for_ each other!"

At that recollection, Brienne seemed determined to break eye contact with him, so instead rolled her laser-like blue eyes down his body, as if she was examining every inch of him. He briefly wondered if she also had X-Ray vision. It was then Jaime's turn to blush, but he only realised what she was doing when she met his gaze once more.

"Please tell me you at least got a replica super suit for the role play."

"No," smiled Jaime, raising an intrigued eyebrow at her. "Are you saying you did?"

She looked bashful. "No..."

That admission pleased him. "Then we fucked in our super suits, Brienne," he grinned, unable to hide how happy that made him. "The Blue Knight and the Kingslayer fucked in our super suits."

To Jaime's surprise, Brienne pulled a face.

"Why do you look so unhappy?" asked Jaime, really not following Brienne's train of thought.

She rolled her eyes in a way that was dismissive, not teasing. "Gods, are you really so stupid, Jaime? I didn't _want_ to fuck the Kingslayer, I wanted to fuck my boyfriend _dressed_ as the Kingslayer, because I wanted to live a fantasy for thirty seconds."

"Hey, I lasted longer than thirty seconds!"

"Barely!" she thundered, which instantly told Jaime that she was no longer messing around. "But I didn't care how long it lasted, because I love you Jaime and I love being with you. The Kingslayer is just a person I wrestle with occasionally while wearing tight spandex and am overly flirtatious with sometimes... but now I know he wasn't just some random person; he was _you_ and I know _you_ flirt with _me_ when _you_ are not _you_ and _I_ am not _me_ , so maybe _we_ were being emotionally unfaithful to each other!"

Perhaps it was the tangled, tautological explanation of the situation that she had just embarked on, but something made his girlfriend snap. As Brienne descended into another bout of tears at that rambling, incoherent statement, Jaime lifted his hands up to cup her face. For a few moments, he was scared she would bat his hands away - the Blue Knight rarely let the Kingslayer touch her tenderly, after all - but instead she just rested her hands on his hips and continued to sob. Jaime could hardly bear it.

"We were perhaps a little too close as the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer, Brienne, I admit, but that takes nothing away from what we are when we are Jaime and Brienne. In fact, it only adds to it. Do you know how happy it makes me to realise the only two women I have ever had a proper emotional connection with are the same person? _So_ happy, Brienne, _so so_ happy. I don't even mind that you did not tell me the truth about who you really are when you had the chance, because I know how difficult keeping a secret like this is. It's hard, being different, but maybe we can be different together. To me, being superhumans just seems like something else we can share, just like our love of Jon Snow documentaries."

Jaime had hoped that he would be able to soothe her with those words, but Brienne just continued to cry. "But we are not just superhumans, are we, Jaime?" she sniffed, dampening his hands with her tears. "You are a supervillain, and I am a superhero."

"We have more in common than what divides us," Jaime attempted to say, but Brienne seemed too firmly set in her reading of him, so she cut across him and stepped back so she could no longer touch her.

"No we don't," she declared emphatically, as the weight of her decision slowly dawned in her eyes. "You can run very fast and I can punch things very hard, but I also use my powers for good, whereas you..." Her words trailed off, before her eyes widened in mounting horror. "Oh gods, you've been trying to rig the election in your father's favour, haven't you? You, Cersei, and Tyrion?"

Jaime couldn't deny it. "You don't know what powers my father has..."

"And I don't want to, because it doesn't matter!" she announced, her voice growing louder with every word. "Every single day of your life, you have the choice to do the right thing, but as far as I can see you settle on either villainy or the path of least resistance at every turn. You are apathetic in the face of your father trying to ruin the election, and then seem to help him without complaint..."

The suggestion that he surrendered to his father just riled Jaime up. "You don't understand. My father's powers... he makes me see Aerys... he makes me see..."

"And then there is _Aerys,_ " said Brienne, picking up that reference and running in the opposite direction to that which Jaime was going to take it. "You murdered him in cold blood, a man you were sworn to protect! You murdered him and were caught with the bloody knife in your hands, but you got away with it because somebody saved you behind the scenes. No doubt the great and powerful Tywin Lannister, now I think about it."

That she was painting the past in the darkest colours made Jaime shake his head. "Wench, that's not what happened..."

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU?" she suddenly shouted, a brimming, overwhelming fury overtaking her. Clenching her fists, it seemed as if she was toying with the idea of punching him. "DO NOT CALL ME WENCH!"

Her instruction echoed around the empty office and deep within Jaime's heart. "Okay, Brienne," he began tentatively, wanting to get back onto safer ground. "I'm sorry..."

However, she seemed far too lost in her anger and sadness to be able to offer him a coherent response. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes flashing, and he could feel the magnetic, strong pull of her body that spoke of the superhuman strength that lived under her skin, and all the love he held for her in his heart.

Brienne did not seem to sense the same thing, however.

"And don't call me Brienne either! I am not Brienne to you."

"Then who are you?" Jaime asked, a fearful lump blooming in his throat at that first step towards rejection. "Who are you to me?"

"The Blue Knight," she announced forcefully, pressing her fists to her hips in the traditional superhero pose that she adopted every time on the TV. For the first time, she did not look like Brienne at all, just a nameless cypher who saved innocents from a wretch like him. "And you are my arch-nemesis, the Kingslayer."

She was gazing at him with such hatred that Jaime could not stop the tears welling in his eyes. "I am still me, Brienne. I'm still Jaime."

"You are the Kingslayer _and_ Jaime," she spat, her tears matching his. "And the former poisons everything. You can't eat an apple if it is half rotten, and _you_ are half rotten."

Jaime stepped forward, trying to take her hands, but she flinched away. "Brienne," he croaked, trying to make her see that he was standing right in front of her, ready to love her and make everything right. "None of that matters... if we love each other."

At that statement, she let out a puff of air that could have been a sob or laughter, or maybe even a bit of both. "How can I love you?" she said, fixing him with her teary, beautiful eyes. "You are a _murderer_."

"Brienne, you are my girlfriend I..."

"No I am not!" she cried incredulously, retreating from him as if he were a wild animal set on devouring her. "How on earth do you think we can be together after this? The idea is preposterous!"

To Jaime, that had a simple answer. "Because we love each other."

A single tear spilled down her cheek, shining bright in the moonlight.

"Sometimes that is not enough, Jaime," she sobbed. "Not in the face of doing the right thing."

As she turned away from him, Jaime was too shocked to speak. When Brienne had first taken her mask off, Jaime had been so convinced he would be able to make her see the truth of what they were - equals, reflections, the sun and the moon - that she would soon be able forgive any grievances she had about his identity as the Kingslayer, that their love would see them through. Yet as she marched out of the door of the office, Jaime did not have the means to pull her back to him. He saw light where she saw only darkness.

The Blue Knight had taken Brienne away from him, and Brienne had taken the Blue Knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... what do you think! Let me know in a lovely comment!


	15. Break Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brienne reels from her conversation with the Kingslayer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for coming back! As you have probably noticed, I have upped the chapter count again, but this will be the last time... I promise!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

The first thing Brienne did when she woke up the following morning was turn on her phone, and she regretted it at once. Part of her had believed that after their conversation the night before Jai - _The Kingslayer_ \- would cut his losses and leave her alone, realising it was futile to argue about this or try to rebuild what they had once had. They couldn't be together, not when the universe was so black and white. He was on one side and she the other - hero and villain - and it was not as if those two worlds could ever blur. Unfortunately, it seemed Jaime had not come to the same conclusion as she had, as Brienne found she had 27 missed calls and 103 text messages waiting for her on her phone the second her screen lit up.

 _Jaime:_ B, I don't want to end things like this. Can you call me? We should talk it out when we are feeling calmer.

 _Jaime:_ I'm not feeling very calm right now, so maybe you are right and we should talk in the morning. You are always so sensible, B. That's why I love you.

 _Jaime:_ And I do love you, Brienne, I really do. More than I've ever loved anyone else. So will you please speak to me? I can't lose you like this.

With her heart thudding resoundingly in her chest, Brienne listened to a few of the answer phone messages he had left for her, out of both a morbid longing to hear his voice as well as a desire to hurt herself even more while she was down. In its eviscerating glory, she found the self-inflicted pain strangely comforting.

"Hey, Brienne. It's me, Jaime... and it is _me_. Whatever you might think, at the end of the day, I am Jaime and you are Brienne and what we have is real, more real than whatever we are to each other when we are _them..._ I just... I need to talk to you... I can explain, if you want, about Aerys and--"

At the mention of the Seven Kingdom's most infamous murder victim, Brienne hung up forcefully. In spite of her superhero resolve, Brienne wasn't strong enough to listen to that story. It only reminded her of the life Jaime had hidden from her, of the thousands of evil and bad decisions he had made that knotted together to create the real him beneath the mask. Jaime thought he could explain things to her, but what could he honestly tell her about that would change her mind? Killing Aerys? Rigging an election? Anything that came out of his mouth would just sound false to her, like an excuse to get her back into bed with him. If Brienne listened, what would she hear? Feeble justifications for all the terrible things he had done, while she struggled to do good every day of her life. Her father had given her the best gift he had ever given her when she was a child - his moral compass - and now it was pointing her away from Jaime.

Away from the Kingslayer.

Trying to ignore him, Brienne turned her phone off once again, and got out of bed. She was in no mood to pay Jaime any mind. Determinedly trying to think of something other than his pretty sad eyes and how hurt he must be by all this, Brienne marched across the room and picked out her clothes for the day, before going to have a shower. Once there, she set about scrubbing her hair so violently that the tips of her fingers felt sore.

 _I can't talk to him,_ she thought, panicked. _What would I even say? He would just twist me up and turn me around until I am telling him how much I love him again. No, I can't see him. I can't talk to him._

Once she was showered and dressed, Brienne did not return to her room, fearing her phone and the thousand new messages from Jaime that were no doubt waiting for her. Instead, she went downstairs, where she found Pod in the kitchen baking a cake wearing his flowery apron. It was a slice of normality, even though Brienne felt anything but normal.

Pod had a smudge of flour on his face as he turned to greet her. "Good morning, Miss Brienne. You are up late."

"I had a long night," Brienne said nonchalantly, turning towards the cabinets so she could get a bowl out for her cereal without meeting Podrick's eye. She already felt incredibly guilty about letting the Kingslayer into her life; she was not sure how she would cope with admitting her stupidity to Pod.

Stirring the cake mixture quite violently, Pod started chatting idly, leaving Brienne to become transfixed on the ferocious _whisk, whisk, whisk_ of his spoon rather than his questions. "How was last night? What did the Sibling Squad want with Catelyn Stark?"

Brienne shrugged and pretended to have difficulty picking between the cereals. "Uh... I don't know," she said honestly. She had been far too distracted by the fact that _Jaime was the frigging Kingslayer_ to care whatever the Imp and the Evil Queen - Tyrion and Cersei - had been fiddling around with on the computer.

"Did you at least scare them away?" asked Pod, with an obnoxiously loud _whisk, whisk, whisk_ of the spoon. "Or are they still terrorising King's Landing this morning?"

Taking lots of care in pouring her _Golden Nuggets_ into a bowl, Brienne mumbled, "still terrorising King's Landing this morning, I think. In the end, I just couldn't face them and I kinda just... err... left."

That statement clearly confused Pod. He was used to a Blue Knight who stared down her opponents, no matter how scared she was. His whisking became more intense. "Why?"

"Because... because..."

Feeling the pull of his gaze, Brienne turned to look at him. Podrick had always been so faithful to her, so loyal, that at the warm, concerned emotion tangible in his stare, Brienne felt her resistance crumbling to dust.

"BecausetheKingslayertookhismaskoffandheisJaime."

That statement took a few seconds to sink into Pod's unprepared brain but, when it did, he performed one of the most overdramatic blinks in the history of blinks.

"What?"

"You heard me," mumbled Brienne, embarrassed at her own blindness. "The Kingslayer took his mask off... and he is Jaime."

"Jaime..." replied Pod slowly, the cogs in his mind whirring in order to put the pieces together. "As in Jaime _Lannister?_ Your Jaime?"

"He's not _my_ Jaime anymore," Brienne said firmly, trying to demonstrate that she wasn't the fool that Pod obviously thought she was, "but yes... that Jaime is the Kingslayer. Jaime Lannister."

Just as it had been when Brienne had revealed her true self to Jaime, Pod just replied with silence... and more silence... and _more_ silence, before finally dramatically dropping his spoon and blowing a gasket.

"WHAT?!?!" he cried, almost causing his cake bowl to go crashing to the floor.

"Don't freak out!" begged Brienne, abandoning her cereal in an attempt to explain to her faithful butler how the hell she had misjudged her boyfriend so _so_ badly. "I've ended it. I know it can't continue, I know..."

"JAIME LANNISTER IS THE KINGSLAYER?" shouted Pod, his voice erupting into something louder and more violent at the extent of his emotion. "OH MY GODS! AND THAT MUST MEAN..."

"Cersei and Tyrion are the Evil Queen and the Imp, yeah, I know."

"CERSEI AND TYRION ARE THE EVIL QUEEN AND THE IMP?" continued Pod, his tone ascending to a pitch only truly audible by dogs. " _CERSEI AND TYRION ARE THE EVIL QUEEN AND THE IMP?"_

Brienne furrowed her brow. "I thought you would have put that together..."

"No! I just thought that he has been in this _house_ not far from the entrance to the Knight Cave. How do we know he didn't set this all up just to get access to the building and to your secrets? Do you know what intel he has found about you from being here?"

"Pod, I--"

"Miss Brienne, it's important," said Pod as he stepped forward, gazing at her imploringly. "Before your father died, he made me swear to protect you, to protect our secret, and in doing so protect King's Landing. If the Kingslayer has been here, been in this house, maybe here siphoned secrets out of here too. Oh Gods, we are going to have to move everything, Miss Brienne. Absolutely everything..."

In a strange way, Brienne was surprised by Pod's intensely practical conclusion. Although Jaime was the Kingslayer, Brienne did not believe he had been purposefully concealing his true self from her. Instead, it seemed he genuinely loved her - well, felt as much for her as a villain like him could - and had slept with her, kissed her, listened to her problems, massaged her feet, let her complain to him about work, taken her on nice dates to ruins, and ran his fingers through her hair because he genuinely wanted to be with her, not just to winkle out secrets about the Blue Knight.

At least, that was what she wanted to believe.

"I don't think Jaime knew I was the Blue Knight; it was just as much of a surprise for him as it was for me."

If Brienne had thought that reassurance would calm Podrick down, she was wrong, as his eyes went very wide and he returned to shouting. "YOU TOLD HIM YOU ARE THE BLUE KNIGHT?"

"It sort of slipped out..."

Brienne knew she really was in trouble when Pod abandoned the cake, threw his apron off in an indignant huff and started pacing around the room, his face red with worry and anxiety. "We've got to think about how to protect this house from him! Padlocks, hiring bodyguards, getting a laser for the Knight Cave."

"Pod, I don't think that's..."

"Yes, yes, you don't think Jaime will do anything, but what about Cersei and Tyrion?" asked Pod worriedly, raising a slightly accusatory eyebrow at Brienne as he drew to a halt. That comment made Brienne think. It would only be a matter of time before Jaime told his brother and sister who she really was, and she could not rely on their good feeling in the way she could her ex-boyfriend's.

"Fine," said Brienne, conceding Pod's point. "You are right. We can't rely on Cersei and Tyrion, so we will have to think about--"

_Ding Dong. Ding Dong._

Brienne and Pod both froze, before shooting a nervous look at each other.

"Who could be at the door?" asked Podrick, obviously scared. "We _never_ have visitors. We cultivate this aloof millionaire aesthetic for a reason!"

Clamping her bottom lip between her teeth, Brienne made to leave the kitchen. There was no point in being afraid. "Let's go find out, shall we?"

While Brienne was armed with her super strength, disappointment, and heartbreak, Pod picked up a nearby frying pan. Confused, Brienne gave him a sharp look.

"What?" he shrugged. "We don't know who could be waiting for us out there. I'm not a superhero like you and I need to defend myself."

As it turned out, Pod was right to be wary, as while the two of the crept across the entrance hall, the person ringing the bell became more desperate. Brienne wanted to shout out, to tell them that she was coming, but Podrick was on high alert, so she decided to humour him.

It was a good thing she did, as the person waiting for her on the other side of the door was Jaime or, as she knew she should properly title him, the Kingslayer. There were shadows under his eyes, and it looked as if he had not had a good night sleep, but nevertheless his mere presence made her heart attempt a prison break from her chest.

The nerves melted from his face the second he saw her. "Brienne, I..."

"We don't want you here, KINGSLAYER!" spat Pod, not giving Jaime even a moment to say his peace. He marched forward, clearly determined to stop this invader from entering the Manor, but Jaime was far too quick for him. The second Pod got his hand on the door there was a sudden burst of gold light and a whistling sound, before Jaime was standing behind both Brienne and Pod in the middle of the entrance hall, his expression surprisingly submissive given that he had just technically broken into their house.

"I didn't say you could come in," said Brienne mulishly, folding her arms across her chest in a kind of primitive protection. She could not bring herself to meet his eyes, but she did not forcibly remove him from her presence. Part of her wanted him to stay, after all.

Noting the barrier between them, Jaime sighed dramatically and ran a hand through his luscious blond hair that Brienne loved for being so soft and so golden. It matched the tone of his voice. "I _know_ you didn't, but you haven't answered any of my texts or my calls and I really need to speak to you..."

"About what?"

"About _us,_ " replied Jaime passionately, his cheeks crimsoning majestically at that blatant display of his heart. Moved by the same emotion that had governed his words, he took a step forward, but Pod jumped in front of Brienne before he could get anywhere near her, frying pan held aloft.

"There is no _us,"_ hissed Pod, his lip curled into a snarl. Brienne had never seen Pod so angry before. "So get out."

At Pod's wide-eyed, angry statement of a very obvious fact, Jaime let out a cutting, derisive laugh that Brienne recognised from when he played the Kingslayer. "There's no us between you and me, Pod, there you are correct. I was talking about me and Brienne."

"There is no _you and Brienne,"_ Pod clarified harshly, tightening his grip around the handle of the saucepan. "You are the Kingslayer, she is the Blue Knight, so you being here is nothing less than a physical threat!"

Although Brienne sincerely appreciated Pod's protective side, Jaime looked so wounded that her heart twisted itself in her chest at the sight. Nevertheless, she somehow found the strength to say the words that tasted horrible in her mouth. "Pod's right... you are the Kingslayer and I..."

"So get out!" interjected Pod, puffing himself up to his full (if rather diminutive) height. "Nobody wants you here!"

She saw as that comment hit Jaime, as he flinched slightly. " _Brienne_ might want me here. _Brienne_ might want to talk to me. As far as I can see, it is none of your business!"

Jaime had a good foot on Podrick, meaning he could lean over the shorter man with an aggressive glimmer in his eye. Nevertheless, Podrick did his best impression of a silverback gorilla during mating season and made himself look as big, strong, and threatening as he possibly could.

"Oh, it is my business, _Kingslayer,_ because I promised Brienne's father before he died that I would do everything in my power to protect her. I thought that would just be helping her in her sacred mission, but I can also double up in scaring away shitty boyfriends if I have to!"

Even though Pod looked like an angry bull waiting to charge at a red flag, Jaime could not resist being the cutting, cruel, caricature he liked to play as he let out a laugh that only succeeded in informing Pod how little and inconsequential he found him. "Oh Pod, you and your frying pan don't scare me. In fact this is all coming across as vaguely pathetic, like you are desperate or something. Would you really be happy with my sloppy seconds?"

A gasp escaped Brienne's mouth before she could fully compute the obscene thing that Jaime had just uttered. "Jaime..."

He turned to her, quick as a whip, with his eyes filled with regret. "Wench, I didn't mean..."

"HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!" thundered Pod. He looked so wrathful that Brienne wondered if he would burst out of his butler suit like Bruce Banner did when he turned into the Incredible Hulk. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

The next few seconds occurred as if Brienne had front row seats at the King's Landing Opera House, and Pod and Jaime were the two ballet stars dancing for her entertainment. Lifting his arms above his head so as to bring the frying pan down on Jaime in one fell swoop, Pod made a run for it, throwing every little bit of physicality and strength he had into the movement. Unfortunately, Jaime was a super villain, and so replied to Pod's blunt force with a series of moves that were graceful and elegant, but also utterly ruthless and precise. He swerved Pod's initial attack and, once the butler was behind him, Jaime caught his joined hands sharply, sending the frying pan clattering to the floor. In another second, he had Podrick in a headlock and span him round to face Brienne.

"Podrick, I don't want to fight," said Jaime slowly, even as Podrick's face began to turn purple. "I just want to talk to Brienne, so I would appreciate it if you left us alone for a few moments. I promise I won't hurt her or do anything to upset her. I just want to tell her I love her. Do you understand?"

Brienne could not tell if Pod answered yes or no to that question, as his response came out in a strangled gasp. Using his hands, he tried to claw at Jaime's arm in an attempt to get him to release him, but there was no moving the Kingslayer, as he held the helpless Podrick in an iron grip.

At Podrick's distressed expression, Brienne briefly wondered if Aerys Targaryen had struggled like this before Jaime rammed a blade into his back, then slit his throat, causing so much blood to be spilled that the police report spoke of Aerys lying in a thick, crimson lake. The thought made her see red. "DON'T YOU DARE HURT HIM!" cried Brienne, pumping herself up like an angry goddess when she saw the state her oldest friend was in. "LET GO OF HIM AT ONCE!"

Alarmed by her sudden anger, Jaime's grip around Pod's neck loosened at once. "I'm not hurting him, Brienne!" Jaime claimed, even as Podrick staggered away and tried to draw some air into his lungs. "I was just trying to disarm him! He was going to hit me with a frying pan!"

There was some truth in that, but Brienne was too angry to listen. "That's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?" thundered Jaime, stepping forward with a green bright fire in his eyes that almost seemed the colour of wildfire. "You are angry at me Brienne, I get that, but I would also think you would want to talk to me and sort this all out..."

Given what had just transpired between Jaime and Pod, Brienne could not believe that Jaime was still pursuing this line of attack and shook her head disbelievingly. "Sort what out? How can we sort anything out?"

"Because I love what we are together," Jaime said. This time when he moved forward, he locked his hands on her hips, holding Brienne in something that resembled an embrace. The wildfire was gone and his eyes were so full of the love that she he had led her to believe was real, that for a transient second she felt her resolve fading. "I love you, Brienne, and I can explain everything if you just give me the chance..."

Weak in the face of him and his feelings, Brienne did not stop Jaime from lifting his hand and resting it on her cheek, nor did she prevent herself from leaning into his touch. Gazing into his lovely green eyes, Brienne wondered whether there truly was a path to forgiveness, for a way for them to move past all this. However, then she caught sight of Podrick in her peripheral vision, straightening up his suit and picking up the frying pan. It had not been the Kingslayer that hurt him, but Jaime wearing his normal clothes.

In Jaime's desperate expression and Pod's laboured breathing, Brienne finally got a close look at who the man standing in front of her actually was, and it made the next step surprisingly simple.

"Jaime... we can't," she said. Averting her eyes from his gaze, she pushed his hand away.

"Why?" he asked, his voice a croak.

"Because you are the Kingslayer and she is the Blue Knight!" interjected Podrick, raising the frying pan once more as if he were waiting for Brienne's permission to use it.

Even though Brienne made no mood to acknowledge Pod's plan, Jaime's jaw tightened involuntarily at that threat. "Brienne, can you please ask you _little friend_ to put the bloody frying pan down and to go away? We need to talk, and we can't if he is standing there glowering at us while threatening to beat me to death with a kitchen utensil!"

"I won't tell Pod to go away," said Brienne, steeling herself against the inevitable pushback. "He's here to protect me and, anyway, I told you yesterday. I do not wish to talk to you. So can you please leave."

Jaime's face fell in an instant and then the emotion started pouring out of him as if she had dropped a glass and spilt water all over the floor. "I can't leave, not without talking to you..."

"But I don't want to talk to _you_! In fact, I don't want to see you until the next time you inevitably break into City Hall and I have to come and kick your arse!"

At her resistance, Jaime let out a frustrated little growl. "We don't have to do that... we don't have to _be_ like that. I'll give it all up. I won't be the Kingslayer anymore. I'll do that for you."

She had not been expecting that. Up until this point, Jaime had been trying to justify his activities as the Kingslayer, not reject them. Brienne stared at him incredulously. "What?"

"I'd give it all up for you," said Jaime ardently, drawing closer again. This time, it was harder to resist the cloying pull of his body. "My cloak, my title, _everything._ I'd leave the Sibling Squad; I'd turn my back on it all... just to make you happy."

Although Jaime was smiling at her with sweetness and tenderness, Pod tried to interrupt. "He's lying to you, Brienne. Trying to manipulate you."

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you--"

As Jaime and Pod got fully into their backward-and-forwards, Brienne decidedly ignored them as the thoughts of Jaime not being the Kingslayer but just her lovely boyfriend again bubbled to the surface of her mind. Without the cloak and his siblings, Jaime could just be Jaime again, and they could spend time together and kiss and...

 _No,_ Brienne told herself forcefully. _This doesn't change anything. He will still have been the Kingslayer, still have kept that truth from me, still have murdered Aerys..._

"It doesn't make any difference," said Brienne quietly, causing Jaime and Pod to stop arguing.

For a few seconds, Jaime looked at her as if he could not believe what had just come out of her mouth. "Of course it does! I wouldn't be your arch-enemy anymore, and we could just go back to how things were..."

"No we couldn't," replied Brienne, trying and failing to stop the tears catching in her throat. "I would still know who you really are... what you are really capable of."

"I told you, I can explain..."

She sighed. This truly was the hardest thing she had ever done.

"No you can't, Jaime," she said, resignedly. "Nothing can change the fact that you killed Aerys. Nothing."

"Brienne..."

"So, if you have any regard for me, could you please go?" she asked imploringly, hoping he would see how much this was hurting her. "This doesn't need to be harder than it has to be."

Once more, for luck, Jaime stared at her with hope.

"Brienne, I..."

"She said _leave,_ " interjected Podrick suddenly, dropping the frying pan to his side. It was clear he thought he had got his way. "She doesn't want to see you. She doesn't want to talk to you. It is over."

Jaime did not say anything to that but continued to just gaze at Brienne. Under his eyes, she felt as if Jaime had taken her heart out of her chest and was weighing it, just to the check that the emotions she expressed matched the ones she felt within. It was only one last sad shake of the head on her part that seemed to convince him.

"Fine," he said, a little aggressively. "I'll go, but I haven't given up on us, Brienne. I know we are good together, and I know how much you mean to me... I love you."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "I know you do."

"Then why can't we make this work?" asked Jaime, his voice rugged and hoarse at the strength of his emotion.

"It is impossible," she said. "Quite impossible."

She wanted to tell him that night and day never mixed, neither shadow and flame. She wanted to tell him that she had a duty entrusted to her by her father that she valued more than anything. Ever since her father had died, it was the only bit she had left of him, so would forsake it for no one. Not even for the man she loved.

Jaime went to make one last attempt at winning Brienne around, but then Podrick made a firm gesture towards the door. "I think it is about time you leave, don't you?"

"I..."

"You would if you respected Brienne's wishes," said Podrick, knowing that such a suggestion would cut Jaime deep.

Podrick's trap seemed to work, as Jaime's shoulders sagged, another sigh escaping his lungs. It was a sign of defeat.  
  
"I'll see you around, Brienne," said Jaime, his voice cracking. "I love you."

Caught off guard, Brienne nearly said _I love you too_ back, but she managed to catch herself just in time. Giving him a stiff nod, she accompanied him back towards the door, as if he were a high security prisoner being transported cross-country and she a guard. Noting the formality of the walk, Podrick trotted behind them both, his gaze shifting between Brienne and Jaime and back again.

When they reached the door, Brienne finally found the courage to answer Jaime, knowing it was likely the last time they were going to speak without wearing their masks.

"Goodbye, Jaime."

It was final. Set in stone.

Jaime flinched and she saw the hurt in his eyes as well as she saw sunlight in the morning.

"Goodbye, Brienne."

Perhaps hoping she would change her mind or the stars would realign in his favour, Jaime lingered in front of Brienne for a few more moments, his expression wounded and wounding. Eventually, however, it became clear that she was as immovable as a mountain and he turned away, disappearing down the driveway of Evenfall Manor with his head held high.

She tried not to cry.

"This is the right thing," said Pod gently, resting his hand on Brienne's shoulder. "I know it is hard, but you can't be with him, no matter how much your heart tells you that you can. He is a supervillain, he is a murderer, and he is a bad person, and no amount of love is going to change that."

As Brienne watched Jaime vanishing around the corner, she wanted to find some argument to at least undermine what Pod was saying, just a little bit. Jaime was good in his own way, and he had shown her such love that she would forever be thankful. However, she could not formulate an answer that would do her feelings justice, as she knew what Pod was telling her was true.

Jaime was the Kingslayer and she was the Blue Knight, so rejecting him was the brave thing to do.

* * *

It didn't feel like the brave thing to do, though. More like the _cowardly_ thing to do.

Haunted by her decisions, Brienne rapidly came to the conclusion that she had to escape Evenfall Manor as the shadows of Jaime and Pod were driving her mad. The former would not leave her alone. Admittedly, he had not tried to visit her again, but in the following two days, he had sent flowers and hampers and more begging text messages. She was thinking about blocking his number or even moving, because Jaime clearly did not know restraint when it came to matters of the heart, and she needed some time alone. Pod did not seem to sense this desire of Brienne's either, as he had suddenly decided he was in an action movie and that he wanted to embroil her in it too. Fearing the Kingslayer's return, Pod had now rigged the house with security cameras and booby traps, to the point that once Brienne was electrocuted when she went to get some orange juice out of the fridge.

That living at Evenfall Manor was now a health and safety hazard meant that, on the last day she could claim she was sick, Brienne called her boss and did a very bad impression of having a cold, before retreating to her room and locking herself inside. She stayed for most of the day like that, ignoring the sound of Pod drilling holes in the ceiling while curled up under her duvet as if she were actually "sick". Not wanting any nasty surprises, she kept her phone off and made sure Pod vetted any visitors.

She didn't want to see Jaime. She _couldn't_ see Jaime.

Nevertheless, by the end of the day, Brienne realised she had to see _someone_ who wasn't Pyromaniac Pod. While Pod had very admirably recognised all the physical threats that Jaime and the Sibling Squad now posed to Brienne and Evenfall Manor, he had not quite cottoned on to the fact that Brienne's own heart was in pieces, torn between a man she loved and her duties. Deep down, Brienne knew if she ever voiced that feeling to Pod, he would be disappointed with her just as her father would have been if he was here.

_Brienne, you swore a sacred vow._

_Brienne, being the Blue Knight takes sacrifice._

_How could you have ever loved the Kingslayer?_

Given these conflicted feelings, by the end of the day, Brienne felt trapped in Evenfall Manor rather than comforted. No matter how much her heart hurt, hiding under a pile of warm blankets wasn't doing anything for her, not with Pod putting Home Alone style booby traps specially for Jaime all over the house anyway. Therefore, Brienne decided to go and talk to a friend, and the friend in question was Sansa. Even though she could not tell her everything that had gone down with Jaime, Brienne could at least sketch the outline for her.

 _Brienne:_ Hey, are you around tonight?

 _Sansa:_ Yeah, why? Are you feeling better? Do you want to do something?

 _Brienne:_ Can I come around to yours? Everything has gone to shit.

 _Sansa:_ What do you mean?

 _Brienne:_ I've broken up with Jaime 😢

 _Sansa:_ OMG BABE 😢 I'm so sorry! I'll be round as soon as I can. ❤️

 _Brienne:_ Can I come round to yours? Pod's driving me mad.

 _Sansa:_ Ofc. I'll get the wine and chocolates out.

Sure enough, by the time Brienne arrived at Sansa's, she found her best friend standing on the driveway with the bottle of Arbor Gold already in her hand. Sansa's gaze was so full of care that Brienne's resolve to be the strong, tough one of the two of them crumbled in an instant, and she found herself sobbing into Sansa's shoulder as her friend wrapped her arms around her. They stood there for quite a while, bathed in the early evening light, until Sansa eventually found the words.

"I am so _so_ sorry," she said gently, her breath tickling Brienne's ear. "He appeared to be so into you, so in love. This has totally blindsided me. Come inside and you can tell me all about it."

"I don't know what to say," admitted Brienne, pulling away from Sansa and fixing her with a teary stare. "It's all so complicated... and I'm feeling so many different things."

Sansa gave her a sympathetic smile. "Well you can come inside and just call Jaime a dick and we can drink loads of wine, and then you can tell me that you love him and hate him all at once, and then we can drink even more wine," said Sansa consolingly. Brienne could not help but laugh at the thought of this plan. "And _then_ if you wanted we could just do girlie things like paint our toenails, eat ice cream, and I can tell you all about the skiing holiday to the Mountains of the Moon that Jeyne Poole and I are going on that you are totally invited to if you want to come."

Brienne dried her tears away with the back of her hand. "I'm not much of a skier... and my feet are too big for the boots."

"There is a first time for everything," said Sansa brightly, linking her arm around Brienne's. "But first things first."

"What's that?" sniffed Brienne.

Sansa smiled like a Cheshire Cat as she pushed the front door open.

"Wine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This chapter was a tough one to write, so I hope you enjoyed. If you did, please let me know with a comment or kudo; I love to hear from you.


	16. Not So Secret Identities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After breaking up with Brienne, Jaime has to broach the subject with Cersei and Tyrion...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thank you so much for coming back! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is a big emotional point in the series :)

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

Stannis was not exactly sympathetic when Jaime phoned him the next day claiming he had the flu, but he couldn't legally demand that Jaime come into work, so his annoyance was mainly expressed through the subtle grind of the teeth that prefaced his acquiescence.

"Alright, Lannister. Please try to be in for tomorrow."

"Of course, I'll see you then" replied Jaime, knowing full well he was not going to be a work the following day. He _couldn't_ go to work; his heart hurt too much and all he wanted to do was go to sleep or get drunk to block everything out.

 _It's over with Brienne,_ he thought morosely from under his duvet. _It's over with Brienne and it's all my fault._

She had not listened when he tried to make her see sense, not even given him the time of day. Even aside from the whole Kingslayer issue, he reluctance to listen was what Jaime found the hardest to deal with; that she wouldn't even _hear his story._ It was as if she looked at him and did not see him as Jaime anymore, but just the caricature she had turned his alter-ego into in her head. Brienne saw the Kingslayer, with his gold super suit and his white cape, soiled by sins of the past that the whole world damned him for.

 _Why can't she see beneath the mask?_ he wondered. _Why can't she see me?_

Jaime spent most of his day in bed, not wanting to go out. What was the point? The one good thing in his life had ended in a ball of fiery chaos and now all he had was a job that didn't excite him and a side career as a caped superhuman, who Brienne thought was a _villain._ He kept his phone turned off and closed the curtains; for all intents and purposes, he behaved as if he had the flu. Yet it was not his body that was sick, but his heart. He wanted Brienne... he wanted Brienne not to hate him... he wanted things to go back the way they were... he wanted...

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Jaime snapped his eyes open. Rolling over, he peered over at the clock beside his bed. He did not know how it had happened, but somehow it was already late afternoon; 5.37pm to be exact.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" he grumbled, getting out of bed and immediately searching around for his pyjama top. The knocking got louder. "I said I'm coming!"

When Jaime was finally dressed somewhat presentably, he dashed to the front door, only to find his brother and sister standing on the other side, waiting for him. Initially, they were both smiling, but the second they saw him in all his grungy, depressed glory, their grins dropped.

"What the hell happened to you?" asked Tyrion, furrowing his brow.

Too upset to say it out loud, Jaime tried deflecting. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"We messaged you asking if you wanted to come out for a drink and we got no answer, so we thought we would come around and see you," said Cersei with a flick of her hair. "We didn't expect that you'd be all... _this_ though."

"What is all _this?"_ asked Jaime sullenly, copying the slightly dismissive expression she had made.

"You moping and looking depressed," supplied Tyrion, waving his hand up and down towards Jaime as if to illustrate the point. "It's not like you. What happened?"

Jaime swallowed heavily. He was going to have to bite the bullet eventually and face what had happened between him and Brienne out in the open at some point. Breaking it to his brother and sister seemed like a good start. They were both eagerly waiting for an answer, after all, so it seemed difficult to deny them.

"Brienne and I broke up."

To his surprise, Tyrion and Cersei's response was like a wave crashing against the shore; sudden, overwhelming, and a little loud.

"OMG Jaime! I'm so sorry!"

"You seemed so good together!"

"It doesn't make any sense!"

"I thought you found your one and only."

In spite of the supportive noises they were making, Jaime lifted up his hand to silence them. He didn't want their sympathy or pity, he just wanted Brienne back, and Tyrion and Cersei treating the break-up like it was a done deal only diminished his hope. "Yeah, well, it's not looking good. She's refusing to talk to me and doesn't want to listen to my side of the story."

"Your side?" asked Tyrion, tilting his head in confusion. "Jaime... what did you do?"

The words were stuck in Jaime's throat. How could he admit that Brienne had dumped him because of who he was on the weekends? Also, how could he admit it while _standing at his front door?_ After taking a surreptitious glance around to check no one was watching them, Jaime beckoned them inside, and his siblings followed at once. In a sullen mood, Jaime stayed quiet as he escorted them inside. Perhaps sensing the dark atmosphere, Tyrion decided to liven things up.

"Why don't we have a couple of beers and watch a film?" he suggested, knowing full well that Jaime normally could not resist a cold one. "Cersei, why don't you pick something out in the lounge while Jaime and I get the drinks? It can be your choice."

Pleased at the opportunity to not watch a crappy action film, Cersei's eyes flicked between her two brothers before she nodded and headed off in the direction of the lounge, her hair swishing behind her. Although he felt as if his siblings were manoeuvring around him, Jaime nevertheless let Tyrion hold onto his arm and lead him into the kitchen. Once there, Jaime slumped down on one of the dining chairs, while Tyrion went over to the fridge to retrieve the drinks.

"What do you want? A _Stella_?" inquired Tyrion, pulling out a couple of bottles of beer to choose from.

Jaime shrugged. He was struggling to care about anything at the moment. "Yeah. That's fine. Whatever."

Tyrion gave him an encouraging smile at his easy submission to his plan, before closing the fridge door with his foot. "Where do you keep the bottle opener?"

"Left drawer below the hob," replied Jaime, while Tyrion put the beers on the side and rooted around for the required tool. Once he had found the offending utensil, Tyrion went to open the beers while Jaime just watched, unable to speak. Normally, he would be full of jokes and life conversation, but today he just felt as if he were internally collapsing. It was all he could do to keep himself present, let alone make light chit-chat with Tyrion.

Fixing his mix-matched eyes onto his brother, Tyrion came over to the table and put one of the beers in front of Jaime. He drank it at once; oblivion called.

"So," said Tyrion slowly, taking the seat beside Jaime. "Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Brienne?"

Jaime looked down at the table then took another swig of beer to distract himself for a moment. "I don't even know where to start..."

"Was it mutual?"

"No," admitted Jaime reluctantly, the truth tasting as bitter as the beer. "She dumped me."

Tyrion's gaze turned warm and sympathetic. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Jaime. What reason did she give?"

Jaime's insides froze at the question. How could he possibly tell Tyrion the truth? It would change everything... wouldn't it? How could they ever go back to being the Sibling Squad and the Blue Knight, performing their pre-determined roles without a second thought? Jaime was not sure he could face Brienne as the Blue Knight again, but what about Tyrion and Cersei? How would they react to the truth?

"Jaime?"

"Mmmm?"

"You are sorta staring off into space. Did you do something to hurt Brienne? Or is she just wanting a break? Can you work it out?"

Jaime let out a huff of sad laughter, the type that told of the weight that was currently sitting on his soul. "I don't think so, Tyrion. I think it's over permanently."

"Why is that?" Tyrion asked, genuinely confused. "You seemed so right together, so good for each other, and you both were so genuinely happy. Her face just lit up every time she looked at you. Surely, you can fix this?"

No matter how much Jaime wanted to make things better with Brienne, the truth was impossible to avoid. "No, we can't... because you were right about Brienne." He took a sip of beer to wet his dry mouth. "You were right about everything."

"I was right?" asked Tyrion, his eyebrows knotting into one straight line in his confusion. He clearly had no idea what Jaime was talking about. "What was I right about?"

Jaime swallowed. He would have to rip the plaster off eventually, and now seemed as good as time as any.

"Brienne is the Blue Knight."

Tyrion blinked. It felt as if the whole world was in slow motion.

"Pardon?"

" _Brienne is the Blue Knight,"_ Jaime repeated, trying not to sound exasperated as Tyrion continued to stare at him with goggle-eyes. After a few moments of tense silence, his brother's mute shock prompted Jaime to try and explain. "When we were fighting at City Hall the other day, my mask slipped off and she saw... then she confronted me about it at Stark Towers when we were fighting and we talked about it, and she decided to... hey, what are you doing?"

"CERSEI GET IN HERE NOW!!!!" bellowed Tyrion as he clutched at his stomach, his stubby little fingers contracting and relaxing as he squeezed his sides. "GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!"

The familiar _clip-clop_ of stiletto heels told Jaime that Cersei was on her way. When she finally came cantering into the room, she looked slightly irritated, and instantly put her hands on her hips. "What do you want? I had almost picked between _Mean Maidens 1_ and _Mean Maidens 2_ before you interrupted... What are you doing?"

Jaime did not have an answer to Cersei's question as he could no longer see Tyrion, who had disappeared from view due to falling off his chair, clutching at his side. Standing up in order to see what was happening, Jaime discovered that Tyrion was gasping for air, just able to squeeze some words out over his laughter.

"Brienne... is... the... Blue... Knight!"

Cersei tilted her head in confusion. "What?"

"BRIENNE... IS... THE... BLUE... KNIGHT!" Tyrion spluttered, rolling around on the floor, a victim to his hysterical giggles. "JAIME... HAS... BEEN... BANGING... THE... BLUE... KNIGHT... FOR... _MONTHS..._ AND... NEITHER... OF... THEM... NOTICED!!!"

Jaime rolled his eyes. "That's not quite..."

However, it was not enough to stem the tide of hilarity that had just washed over the conversation.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" guffawed Cersei, all effort to keep herself looking elegant and poised ruined as her uncontrollable laughter consumed her. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!""

"I KNOW!" wheezed Tyrion, somehow managing to get to his feet despite the fact he was still clutching his sides and his eyes were filled with laughter tears. "I mean... I didn't think I was actually _right,_ I was just teasing you and HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... oh my gods, Brienne is the Blue Knight and you've been sleeping with her, and talking about the future, and then beating the shit out of each other at weekends! AHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"THIS... IS... SO... AWKWARD... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" roared Cersei, leaning on Tyrion's shoulder in an attempt to keep upright. "HOW ARE YOU EVER GOING TO FIGHT HER AGAIN?"

Jaime folded his arms across his chest as his siblings continued to laugh at him. It was bad enough he already felt like a complete idiot with a broken heart; he didn't need Tyrion and Cersei rubbing it in too.

"Guys, can you just stop?" he asked imploringly, barely able to muster up the energy to counter his sibling's uproarious laughter, but trying anyway. "This isn't funny."

Tyrion tried to pull a serious face. "Of course, you are right, it's not funny," he said, biting his lip in an effort to remain stoic. It quickly crumbled. "It is FUCKING HYSTERICAL!!!"

Tyrion's laughter pushed Cersei back over the edge too. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, oh my gods... _wheeze..._ I just can't. I JUST CAN'T. How have you been banging the Blue Knight this whole time and you didn't even know! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! POOR JAIME!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Sulking, Jaime sat down. "Can you both get control of yourselves, please?"

Tyrion nodded, clamping his mouth shut and breathing heavily in an attempt to suppress his laughter. It looked as if his eyes were going to burst out of their sockets. Cersei just clamped her hand over her nose while breathing in through the nose, her nostrils flaring in short little bursts. When they had both finally been quiet long enough for Jaime to get a word in edgeways, he tried to explain.

"This is not funny, it's _bad,"_ he said, the emotion that had been congealing inside of him all day now leaking through with every word. "She won't talk to me, won't listen, won't let me explain. She just sees me as the Kingslayer and nothing else. It is as if all the time we spent together really being ourselves meant nothing at all."

Finally in control of his laughter, Tyrion tilted his head to one side. "Jaime, no offence but... you _are_ the Kingslayer. What can you possibly tell her that would make any of this easier for her to digest?"

"I'd tell her she means more to me than the Kingslayer's stupid cape does," he said firmly, knowing it was true in a heartbeat. "That I would give this all up for her if that's what she wants, if that is what would make her happy..."

Jaime had expected his siblings would understand, but Cersei let out a bitter laugh that was quite the contrast to her earlier joyful guffaws. "But you know that is not possible. You _are_ the Kingslayer, even if you take that cloak off."

A heavy weight pressed down on his chest, that was full of the darkness he had felt in the days after killing Aerys. "I'm not," he started to say. "He's the mask, I'm just..."

"The guy father gets to do all his dirty work, so he doesn't have to," said Tyrion, cutting across Jaime before he could get his words out. Irritated, Jaime frowned. "Don't look at me like that!" continued Tyrion. He held his hands up to show he was unarmed. "The Kingslayer and the Imp are brothers in arms in doing all the shady shit our dad wants us to do, so I am talking about _me_ as much as you here. We can't separate ourselves from out alter-egos, and you know full well why."

"Why?" asked Jaime grumpily, like an unhappy toddler.

Tyrion went to answer, but Cersei beat him to it. "Because what will happen if we stop being the Kingslayer, the Imp, and the Evil Queen, huh? Father will take us to the worst places possible, that's what, and without even touching us physically."

Jaime sighed. Of course he knew why he could not give up being the Kingslayer, but it never stopped him longing to. On the other side of being the Kingslayer, he could imagine a world where he and Brienne were on the same team, after all. "Do you want to give it up too?" he asked Tyrion and Cersei, hoping they would give him the answer he wanted to hear: _yes._ "Do you ever think about throwing it all away and living your life as you want to, outside Father's influence?"

Cersei and Tyrion exchanged a glance full of an emotion Jaime could not understand.

"Of course we do," said Tyrion. All trace of his former jollity was gone.

"But we can't," continued Cersei matter-of-factly, "because we are Lannisters, and that is all that matters."

Silence echoed around the kitchen after that pronouncement. Jaime had no words. Cersei was right; the Sibling Squad _were_ Lannisters, permanently trapped under their father's thumb. They all knew full well that Tywin Lannister could throw them down to the darkest depths of hell at the click of his fingers and none of them wanted that. Feeling utterly defeated, Jaime sagged into the chair, pushing it back onto its hind legs. He ran his hands over his face before reaching back into his hair. Every part of him ached and he just wanted Brienne back, wanted things to go back to how they were, but could not see a way forward.

If he wasn't a Lannister, Jaime might have cried.

"Hey," said Tyrion soothingly, coming and putting one of his hands on Jaime's shoulder. "While Cersei and I cannot help you with your identity crisis or getting back with Brienne, there is _something_ we can do."

Jaime looked at him confusedly. "What?"

"We can go get ice cream to help you mope," Tyrion smiled. "Cersei knows a good place, don't you Cers?"

Cersei clapped her hands excitedly. "Oooh, yes! Of course I do! And I also have a way of getting lots of ice cream without paying a single dragon..."

* * *

The place Cersei knew turned out to be a fancy _gelateria_ on the other side of town called _Moon Boy's._ Jaime was fine with that, but less happy with the way they went about getting free ice cream. Instead of Jaime, Tyrion, and Cersei going for a snack they acquired through paying actual money to the person who had produced it for them, it turned out that the Kingslayer, the Imp, and the Evil Queen entered the establishment with the intent on getting some ice cream armed with a threat.

After Tyrion had blasted the doors of _Moon Boy's_ wide open, revealing the Sibling Squad - a triumvirate of chaos - the screaming from the _gelateria's_ patrons started at once. The Kingslayer could not help but roll his eyes.

"OH SEVEN SAVE US! IT'S THE SIBLING SQUAD!!!"

"RUUUUUUUUUNNN!!! WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!"

"TAKE MY HUSBAND INSTEAD! I'M STILL SO YOUNG!"

The Evil Queen silenced them all with a click of her fingers. The Kingslayer could not help but note their terrified stares.

"You will all be pleased to know we are not here for a massacre," she cooed with a smile. "What we are here for though, is ice cream, so if everybody could please leave the premises so we could get _served..."_

Although the shouting had now died down, there was no immediate rush from the assembled customers to get out. In his heart of hearts, the Kingslayer knew why. While the Evil Queen and the Imp were feared, it was the Kingslayer who truly inspired terror, as he had killed a man in cold blood. Consequently, when he stepped forward, the whole room froze over, hanging on his every word.

"Did you hear what she just said?" he growled, suppressing all hint of Jaime Lannister in favour of a heartless tone that spoke of the ruthlessness that had enabled the Kingslayer to murder Aerys Targaryen. "She said _get out."_

The rush started at once. Tables and chairs were almost upturned in the great hurry to get out. People dashed past the Kingslayer, their fear and disgust palpable as they refused to look him in the eye.

 _That will be Brienne soon,_ thought Jaime morosely from behind his mask. _That's how she'll look at me... with contempt._

In spite of the wave of disappointment and self-hatred that washed over him at the sight of the panicked faces leaving _Moon Boy's,_ the Kingslayer let the Evil Queen and the Imp take him to one of the booths, where they huddled around the table and looked at the menu. As the restaurant was empty, Cersei utilised her powers to force the pimply youth behind the counter to scurry over, ready to take their order.

"We will have two large knickerbocker glories and one mineral water," said Cersei smartly, before the boy scribbled it down on his notepad.

Tyrion raised an eyebrow at her. "Only two ice-creams, Cers?"

"I'm trying to watch my weight," she admitted with a shrug of the shoulders. "My super suit is getting a little tight."

For the first time since his argument with Brienne, Jaime got a little light relief. He ate ice cream and talked to his siblings, with the hypnotised youth running backwards and forward to the counter to get all the extra sprinkles and sauces Cersei desired. In the cosy glow of the _gelateria_ , the three of them were able to laugh about inconsequential things. For a moment they were children back in Casterly Rock, living in a world before their powers and their super suits, their father's demands and the Kingslayer's soiled cloak. That boy had dreamed of being loved by someone like Brienne - strong and brave, whom he adored - but would have never predicted how his life would turn out.

"What do you think you three are doing?"

The Sibling Squad turned at once to face the door.

Jaime sighed. Brienne was here.

As ever, she looked immaculate in her Blue Knight suit. Every inch of it was perfectly ironed, and the armour was buffed to perfection. It took every ounce of strength to try to forget the time he had removed her super suit in a lust-fuelled hurry to see her naked, even though she glared at him so coldly he almost froze.

Although he had previously thought of so many things to say at their first reunion as the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer, all of them deserted him as he gazed at her. In spite of the fact she was wearing her mask, Jaime just saw Brienne, and he just wanted to _talk_ to her face to face without the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer interceding.

Given he had no words, Cersei had to do it for him. "We're here eating ice cream because our brother has had a pretty bad break up, _actually_. He needs some comfort."

That comment clearly disconcerted Brienne, as her whole stance suddenly became much more tense. "Oh..." she mumbled, the blush on her cheeks blatantly evident. "Well, I mean that's no excuse..."

"Really?" chirped Tyrion suddenly, resting his head in his hands like a chubby cherub in a religious painting. "Because I would have thought you would be much more bothered than this, considering you were the one who broke his heart, _Brienne._ "

Jaime gasped as the name echoed around the _gelateria._

_Brienne... Brienne... Brienne..._

At the sounding of her name, her fury suddenly headed up from an icy tundra to a volcano. "You told them?" she snapped, her eyes darting across to Jaime. He couldn't even summon the good grace to look guilty. "You _told_ them?"

"Yes, he told us," said Tyrion as Cersei chuckled. "Believe me, both Cersei and I have had to take time out of our packed laughing schedule to be with you here this evening, but it has already been well worth it!"

As Tyrion then chose to grin at her infuriatingly, Brienne wrenched her eyes away from him in order to stare at Jaime furiously. He just shrugged blithely. She was already furious at him, what more could he possibly do wrong? "We kinda come as a trio, wench. The clue's in the title."

"What did I tell you, don't call me wench!" she hissed, folding her arms across her armour.

"Brienne, then?" he said, his own anger suddenly starting to spike. Faced with the self-righteous indignation, Jaime did not know if he could stand it much longer. "Or what about snuggle bunny? My little kitten? You tend to like those when we are in bed together."

As Tyrion and Cersei sniggered, Brienne stepped forward, her face now the colour of a tomato. "Shut up!"

"Why?" he snarked, getting to his feet. His Kingslayer cape billowed out behind him. "It's not like you listen to anything I've got to say, anyway."

"Yeah, and that's because you are the Kingslayer!"

"Who you've been _dating_ ," Jaime snapped back. "And who you led to believe you were quite serious about."

For a transient second, Brienne almost looked guilty, but then she shook her head as if to bat away those unfortunate feelings. "That was before I knew the truth... that was before I knew you were lying!"

" _I_ was lying?" scoffed Jaime, derisively. "If I was lying, so were you sweetheart. In fact, I gave you an opportunity to tell me the truth and what did you do? Oh yeah, continued to lie!"

"Well, at least I was only lying about good things! I was lying about the fact that I go out and protect the city most evenings! That I stop elections being rigged! That I help old ladies cross the road! That I save children from burning buildings! What you were lying about is of a totally different magnitude; you are the Kingslayer, a _villain,_ the man who murdered Aerys Targaryen!"

Jaime could feel Cersei and Tyrion bristling behind him, so her marched forward to stand right in front of Brienne. It drew a new boundary between himself and the rest of the Sibling Squad. In spite of this gesture, Brienne still seemed to be hiding behind her mask. Hiding from _him._

"And it always comes back to Aerys, doesn't it?" he growled, not able to suppress the years of venom for a moment longer. "No matter what I do it will always be about _him_."

At that exclamation, Brienne stared at Jaime as if he had gone mad. "He was an elected Senator who you _murdered_ in cold blood."

"And what a Senator he was," said Jaime sarcastically, remembering the man's shining eyes alight with green flames on the night he died. "You only believe that because nobody has ever bothered to listen to my side of the story!"

Brienne narrowed her eyes at him, as if she couldn't believe what was coming out of his mouth. "Oh please, don't play poor hard done by little supervillain, Jaime, it doesn't become you."

"Do you honestly think I'm a villain?" he asked suddenly, making a grab for her wrist. She flinched away sharply. Brienne was behaving as if his touch physically hurt her, and it made him angry. Furious, even. Barely remembering his brother and sister were behind him, Jaime pulled out the big guns. "Me? You think _I'm_ a villain? Who you went on dates with to the Baelor Museum and the Rosby ruins?"

"Stop..."

"Who you told that you loved, and would always have time for, and that you cared so much about? Me?"

"Gods, just..."

"Why won't you just talk to me?" he asked, half in desperation and half in fury. "Don't I deserve that at least?"

As he gazed at her imploringly, Brienne stamped her foot in frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you? You are the Kingslayer, I am the Blue Knight. You are a villain, and I am a hero. Our worlds just don't mix!"

"Then why are you even giving the three of us the time of day, huh?" he wondered aloud, goading her in the process. "We've scared a restaurant full of customers away and Cersei is now using her feminine wiles to bewitch the few remaining staff members in order to bring us ice cream. Oh heroic Blue Knight, surely you should have done something about our ice-cream stealing villainy already?"

To Jaime's delight, Brienne blushed in an embarrassed way rather than an angry way as she searched for a counter-argument. "Well I just..."

"What?" he asked, failing to keep the hope rising in his voice. "Do you not think I'm a villain?"

Brienne's mouth became a sullen line. "Of course I do..."

"Then why don't you do something, wench, instead of just blushing and getting pissed at me! Maybe treat me like a villain, and I might believe that is how you see me!"

Aggravated, Brienne puffed herself up to her full height. "WELL MAYBE I WILL!" she bellowed.

"GO ON THEN," shouted Jaime, unable to keep his temper. "HIT ME! RIGHT NOW! IF YOU THINK I AM SUCH A VILLAIN, TREAT ME LIKE ONE!"

There were a few confused seconds where Brienne looked as if she was just about to lift her fist and punch his nose, or slap him across the face, or even kick him in the balls. The blow never came, however. Instead, she just gazed at him with those big blue eyes that held his heart and bit her lip nervously.

"I can't," she mumbled. "You know I can't."

"Why?" Jaime asked, teetering on a tightrope between heartbreak and joy, euphoria and disappointment, sadness and happiness.

Her eyes glittered in the dim light of the _gelateria._

"Because I love you, of course."

"Awwwww," cooed Tyrion and Cersei quietly from behind them. Without even looking at them, Jaime could tell the other two thirds of the Sibling Squad were heart-warmed by this sincerity, but he continued to keep his eyes on Brienne.

"Then let's make this work," he said gently. "We can sort this out, I know we can..."

She shook her head, her eyes filled with all the sadness of the world. "No we can't... and you know why."

"But..."

"There's nothing you can say that will make me change my mind," she declared firmly, stepping back slightly so she was no longer in his orbit. "And it is not because I think you are a monster, but because my life is already complicated enough considering the duty I have to this city. I don't need more adding to it."

Jaime struggled to understand her point of view and said so. "But we love each other. Surely that is enough?"

"No," she replied swiftly, resolute in her answer. "No it's not."

It took a few moments for Brienne's answer to settle in the air, but when it did Jaime's heart broke anew. Somehow, that she looked sad and regretful made the slow fracturing of their relationship - like melting ice - even worse. It was almost embarrassing as well as heart-breaking.

Suddenly conscious that Cersei and Tyrion were watching all this unfold, Jaime pulled himself away from Brienne and signalled to them both. "I've had enough ice cream. I think we should go home."

Cersei momentarily looked as if she was about to object, but after Tyrion pulled her arm admonishingly, they both abandoned their ice creams and went to join Jaime. Sensing the time to depart had arrived, Jaime tried to move away from Brienne, but she caught his wrist with her big, freckled hand. Her touch was gentle.

"Wait, Jaime... Please."

He skidded to a halt, letting the hope build in his chest like the crescendo at the end of a symphony. However, Brienne evidently saw that percussive peak of emotion, as she shut him down quickly.

"You should really pay for your ice creams."

With his heart heavy, Jaime brushed her hand away.

"Super suits don't have pockets," he said emotionlessly, before turning to his brother and sister. "Come on Cersei, Tyrion. We should leave."

As the three of them did so, the Blue Knight did nothing to stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As ever, I would love to hear what you think of the latest developments in a comment or kudos!


	17. Over and Under

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Brienne ruminates on her break up with Jaime, other events spiral out of control...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is a fairly short chapter hence the quick update, but I hope you enjoy it!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

And just like that, Brienne's relationship with Jaime was over.

He made no more attempts to get in contact with her - no grovelling text messages, no plaintive calls, no effusive bunches of flowers - and the silence was defeaning. After their run in at the ice cream parlour, Jaime did not try to confront Brienne at Evenfall Manor again, armed with excuses, lest Pod attack him with a frying pan. Neither did the Sibling Squad attempt to terrorise any innocent citizens of King's Landing, so Brienne didn't even get a chance to see the Kingslayer at work.

After two weeks of silence, it finally hit home for Brienne that she and Jaime were ex-boyfriend and girlfriend, and it near broke her heart in two.

In spite of all the rules of engagement she had set down between them, she missed him. She missed the little emoji-laden messages Jaime would send her in the morning. She missed his kisses, both the sweet little ones of farewell or welcome, and the more passionate ones they shared in bed. She missed his jokes, she missed his cuddles, she missed how gold his hair looked in the light. She missed how he would care for her and would let her do the same for him. She missed how his name felt on her lips, how his tongue felt in her mouth, how she melted when he put his arms around her. She missed the way his green eyes would fill up with such love for her, and his...

 _Stop this,_ she told herself firmly. _Or you will soon be lost. You cannot give into to your weakness and go back to him._

It wasn't that Brienne believed there was no good in Jaime - hell, she had seen it for herself - it was that she existed in a world with a rigidly defined colour scheme that allowed no intermingling. There was a line in the sand demarcating hero from villain, and he had chosen to stand on the opposite from her; the Kingslayer, a member of the Sibling Squad, a murderer. It was his choices Brienne struggled with, right down to the fact that he, Tyrion, and Cersei had robbed an ice cream shop just because she had dumped him. Why couldn't he _buy_ an ice cream like a normal person? It wasn't as if he was wanting for money. Why did he have to do everything illegally?

Luckily for Brienne, there were enough distractions in her life to stop her thinking about Jaime dramas 24/7. For one, Sansa was so excited about her skiing holiday she was taking with Jeyne Poole to the Mountains of the Moon that she babbled about it all the live long day. That was especially true when Brienne went to help her pack the evening before she left, knowing her friend's tendency to forgo minimalism and attempt to take every item of clothing in her wardrobe.

"Which coat do you think I should go for?" Sansa asked Brienne as they stood in front of the former's bedroom mirror. Sansa had two coats in her hand - a blue one with white fur trimmings and a white one with blue fur trimmings - and she was asking Brienne which one she thought was best.

Not being one for fashion, Brienne shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. They're both nice."

"I know they're both _nice,"_ huffed Sansa, "but which one is better? The blue one is more expensive but has the nicer trimming, but the white one has roomier pockets. It's _cold_ up in the Mountains of the Moon, and the blue one is thicker, but the white one is a little longer so will warm the top of my legs. What do you think I should go for?"

"The blue one," said Brienne, picking one to make Sansa happy. "It goes with your eyes."

Sansa held it up in front of herself in the mirror, pouting as she did so. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Because I liked the other one."

"Well pick that one then!" said Brienne exasperatedly. She instantly knew she had spoken too forcefully when Sansa turned to look at her, hurt in her eyes. "I'm sorry," Brienne said at once, not wanting all her close relationships to disintegrate into a big pile of dust. "I'm just not in a good headspace at the moment."

Gazing at her sympathetically, Sansa put down the two jackets and came to sit down beside Brienne on the bed. "Is it Jaime?"

Brienne nodded, not quite able to bring herself to speak.

"Oh babe," said Sansa gently, reaching out and rubbing a soothing circle into Brienne's back as she slumped forward, resting her head in her hands. "Do you think there is no way you can work it out?"

"No," replied Brienne sadly, "I found some things out about him that I think I am unable to forgive."

Sansa raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You? Unable to forgive? Are you sure? You always put up with the shit everybody gives you at work, and you even forgave Jeyne Westerling for spilling coffee all over your shirt ten minutes before the huge presentation to the board. Are you sure you can't forgive Jaime? You do love him, after all."

The words were stuck in her throat. She loved Jaime; or at least, she loved the man she had thought he was. Brienne had adored the man she had gone on romantic little dates with and came and gave her soup when she was sick. The Kingslayer, on the other hand, was another matter entirely.

"I... I..."

Luckily, just before Brienne was forced to spill her guts, Sansa was distracted by her phone ringing. She mouthed some apologetic words to Brienne as she went to pick it up. "Hey... oh hi Jeyne... yeah, I'm just picking out coats with Brienne now... I can come over later and help you if you want... yeah, I'm halfway through packing. I'll be finished soon... okay, see you then."

Once she hung up, Sansa turned back to Brienne. "Jeyne needs help packing. She's having the same coat disasters as me. Do you mind if I head off soon? I know I said we could have some wine, but I'm really worried about Jeyne's ability to pack sensibly for this trip. I know you are having a tough time now, so if you want me to stay feel free to ask me, it's just Jeyne is so..."

"No it's fine," said Brienne breezily, almost thankful that she wouldn't be forced into an interrogation about Jaime. "You can go and help Jeyne. You are heading to the airport early tomorrow, so it will be good if you can both get packed tonight."

Sansa seemed a little relieved at Brienne's understanding attitude. "Thanks babe. Maybe you could have a glass of wine to feel a bit better. Or even get back on _Tinder_ to take your mind off Jaime."

" _Tinder!"_ squawked Brienne. "It's far, _far_ too early for that!"

"Is it? It might remind you that there are other fish in the sea, and there _is_ a light at the end of the tunnel after you've got over all this heartache with Jaime," said Sansa, giving Brienne a knowing grin. "And, anyway, you know what they say; the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else."

"Sansa!"

"What? You know I'm right!"

In truth, Brienne did not know she was right, as she had had so few proper relationships in her life she had never had the chance to test her friend's theory. Therefore, Brienne started making disgruntled noises at Sansa's suggestion, but there was such confidence in the redhead's gaze that Brienne could not help but wonder whether she was right.

After Sansa had finally settled on the blue - no _white_ \- no the _blue_ coat, Brienne helped her friend pack everything up and then load the suitcase, skis, and ski boots into Sansa's car.

"You know, there's still time if you want to come with Jeyne and I," said Sansa emphatically. "Jeyne has finally broken up with her horrible, awful, abusive shit of a boyfriend, so you two could bond over disappointing men."

"Jaime wasn't abusive or awful..." objected Brienne.

Sansa patted her arm reassuringly. "Of course not. It just might be good for you to talk to someone who is in a similar situation - fresh from a break up, I mean - while surrounded by beautiful snowy mountains."

Although Brienne knew Sansa's heart was in the right place, her own still felt too tender.

"Thanks for the invite, but I think I'll decline," said Brienne. "I think I just want to relax this weekend, and I don't have any holiday to get off work next week."

"Of course," replied Sansa, before leaning in and pecking Brienne on the cheek. "I'm probably going to head over to Jeyne's now, so I'll see you when I get back, yeah? I can tell you all about the ski season, and you can update me on how well you are doing at mending your broken heart."

"Yeah," said Brienne, drawing Sansa in for a hug. "I'll see you soon."

After they had said their goodbyes, Brienne stood on the edge of the pavement waving to Sansa as she drove down the road, blowing kisses out of the window. Although part of Brienne wished she could go with Sansa and Jeyne, she knew she had responsibilities back in King's Landing. Besides her job, there was also the every pressing need to protect King's Landing from every villain who tried to take a pop at the city. She also wanted to mourn her relationship with Jaime in peace, and that meant keeping some distance from Jeyne Poole who, as an investigative reporter, would rake her over the hot coals about Jaime.

Nevertheless, when Brienne got home and changed into her pyjamas, she couldn't help but be intrigued by Sansa's suggestion of re-joining _Tinder._ After the debacle with the Kingslayer, Brienne knew there was a very real danger of never trusting anyone ever again. Jaime had seemed so perfect for her online, and even more wonderful in person, that when the truth had come out it had shattered her confidence in everything that mattered. Maybe getting under someone would be the right way to go about it.

 _If only I was that type of girl,_ Brienne thought morosely, uncorking a bottle of wine in her kitchen. _If only I didn't want Jaime back._

In spite of her fantasies of going around to Jaime's and telling him she wanted it to go back to how it was before, after drinking two ill-advised glasses of wine, it suddenly seemed a perfect idea to Brienne to go flicking through _Tinder._ If she looked hard enough, surely she could find some hot, red-blooded male who might distract her from Jaime and his haunting eyes. Still scarred from her last encounter with online dating, she thought it was a good idea to update her profile, laying out what she definitely was _not_ looking for.

_Briene, 23_

_No liarz. No cheats. No guys who kep there past hidden._

_I don't wanna date the Kingzlayer again._

She posed for a quick selfie in her bed before uploading it, and then began her swiping.

 _Ha, I'll show Jaime,_ she thought. _I'll show him that I can move on and that I don't need to feel guilty about it. And I'll prove to myself that I can get under someone I don't care about to get over someone I do._

Unfortunately, her choices were a bit thin on the ground. The first profile was of a guy who seemed to be at an aquarium, pointing at a giant squid through the glass.

_Euron, 34_

_Meteorologist. I really like squid and analysing weather patterns in my spare time._

Brienne swiped past him quickly, along with the guy afterwards, who seemed to be a bit much for her taste. All his photos seemed to be taken in some creepy sex dungeon, in which he was wearing leather and an unnerving smile to match.

_Ramsay, 25_

_Dom looking for a sub. Into kinky sex... like, really kinky. Message if interested._

As she really, _really_ wasn't interested, Brienne swiped on him too and the next option wasn't that much better.

_Gregor, 32_

_Looking for a woman who doesn't talk much. I don't like feminists._

Given that Gregor looked bloody terrifying on top of his sexism, Brienne swiped past him so quickly she accidentally sped past the following two men too. She was about to try and work out how to reverse swipe when she caught sight of the third profile. Her heart hammering in her chest, Brienne suddenly recognised a golden torso that she had often lathered with kisses, a cocky smile that she adored, and a pair of familiar green eyes gazing out at her almost mockingly from the screen.

_Jaime, 30_

_My brother tells me that the best way to get over somebody is to get under somebody new, so I thought I would try it._

At the sight of her ex-boyfriend half-naked for the delectation of every female _Tinder_ user this side of King's Landing, Brienne nearly threw her phone across the room in her attempt to get that awful image away from her as quickly as possible. She didn't want to see _that._ Although she had been the one who ended things with Jaime, the thought of him moving on so quickly made her feel sick to her stomach. Surely this was all as hard for him as it was for her? Why wasn't he longing for her like she was longing for him?

 _Stop being a hypocrite,_ she told herself firmly. _You ended it with him. You can't expect him to live like a celibate monk forever. And, anyway, you were drunkenly trying Sansa's getting-under-someone plan too. Gods, just stop being so phony._

In spite of her firm instructions to herself, Brienne could not stop the tears rolling down her cheeks. How had it all gone up in flames so quickly? Why did she wish things could go back to how it was before she knew he was the Kingslayer? When he was just Jaime and she just Brienne?

_Yet how can it go back to how it was before? Not now I know the side of him that he tried to keep hidden?_

Once Brienne retrieved her phone and turned it off, she found she slept terribly that night. Tossing and turning, she dreamed of Jaime. They were on Tarth in a beautiful sept, the sun shining through the stained glass windows. From the beautiful dress she was wearing and the dozens of guests watching them, Brienne instantly knew that she and Jaime were getting married. He was smiling in that easy way that had made her fall in love with him in the first place. The septon intoned sections of the _Seven Pointed Star_ at them, while Jaime lifted a cloak around her shoulders, embroidered with Lannister lions.

Yet such joyful moments could not last forever.

It was at the peak of her happiness that everything changed. Jaime's face started to distort, his features becoming smudged. Before Brienne could stop it happening, he started to disintegrate before her eyes, melting into nothingness and shadow as she tried to grasp at him.

"Jaime! Please come back to me!"

"Miss Brienne!"

"Jaime, no!"

"Miss Brienne! You are screaming!"

"JAIME!!!"

"Miss Brienne! Wake up!"

Brienne snapped her eyes open, desperately trying to suck oxygen into her lungs. It took a few moments for her to realise that Jaime was not there not because he had dissolved into darkness, but because he had never been there in the first place. Freshly woken from her nightmare, she was in her bedroom at Evenfall Manor. The lamp beside her bed had been switched on, probably by Podrick, who was leaning over her with a panicked expression on his face.

"Miss Brienne!"

"Sorry Pod," Brienne said quietly, reaching out to rest her hand on his shoulder to soothe him. "I was just having a bad dream, I was just..."

"Miss Brienne, you've got to get up, immediately!"

Brienne looked at Pod confusedly. Going by how dark it was, she figured it must still be early in the morning, therefore could not work out why he would want her to get up now. It was quite unlike him.

"What's the matter?" she asked, already worrying at her bottom lip.

"We've just had a call from Catelyn Stark on the Knight Phone!"

A knot began to tie itself in the pit of Brienne's stomach. Catelyn only ever called on the Knight Phone if she wanted the Blue Knight rather than Brienne, and it was really, _really_ urgent.

"What's the matter?" Brienne asked again. Her anxiety began to burn.

"It's Sansa!" gasped Pod, his face pale in the early morning light. "She and Jeyne Poole had just driven outside the city when they were stopped by a policeman. However, once they pulled over, it turned out it wasn't a policeman at all... but the Jester!"

Brienne's heart did a somersault. In her role as King's Landing's protector, Brienne had had one or two run-ins with the Jester. Although he was mostly too lazy to inflict any real damage on King's Landing, he had the hypnotic power of suggestion that could make anyone trust him. Lulling his victims into a false sense of security, he could then control his targets for up to five minutes like a puppeteer holding a marionette. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Jester also liked living cryptic little riddles detailing what he was up to for shits and giggles.

He was very, _very_ annoying.

"The Jester!" said Brienne, horrified, sitting bolt upright in terror. "What did he want with Sansa and Jeyne?"

Running his fingers through his dark hair, Pod began to pace around the room, his anxiety over taking him. "He made Sansa get out of the car while he tied Jeyne up in the back. Sansa apparently tried to fight him off and Jeyne wanted to help, but the Jester had hypnotised her into staying stock still on the backseat. While Jeyne was stuck there, Sansa shouted at the Jester to let her go, but he managed to get her into his van that was parked nearby with the help of some heavies in leather jackets. The Jester ordered Jeyne to stay where she was until his van had driven out of sight, then to drive back to King's Landing and tell this riddle directly to Catelyn Stark."

"What riddle?" asked Brienne, desperate for answers.

Pod did not keep her hanging.

" _Bet you can't resist me on a hot summer day. I can make you burn and feel cold at the same time, I dare say. Where am I?_ "

Brienne's brain slowly clicked into action. Although she was still a little wine-logged, Brienne was hoping she could eventually solve the Jester's puzzle, otherwise it was entirely possible her best friend was doomed.

Unfortunately, she could not piece it together.

"Any ideas?" she asked Pod desperately, hoping her butler would have a better perspective due to the fact he was not a little hungover.

To Brienne's dismay, Pod shrugged. "I have no clue, Miss Brienne, but maybe if you get in your Blue Knight suit you can go and meet Catelyn and Jeyne at Winterfell Tower you may be able to brainstorm what to do next."

Being the superhero she was, the Blue Knight leapt out of her bed at once. Although Brienne was a little drunk and majorly heartbroken, her alter-ego could not afford such emotional weakness in the face of her best friend being kidnapped. Standing up to her full height, Brienne felt her resolve grow.

 _I will find Sansa,_ she thought. _If it's the last thing I do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, no Jaime this chapter, but I still hope you enjoyed it. As ever, I would luuuurrrrvvvveeee to hear what you think about the twists in this story! What is the answer to the riddle? Who is the Jester? And where has he taken Sansa?


	18. The Swimming Pool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaime goes to visit his father, then has some very big decisions to make...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened. I've had a lot going on in my life and I was so worried about this chapter, but AT LAST it is finally here. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy... it is a big one.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

"Sit."

Jaime did what he was told. He _always_ did what he was told.

Even though it was fairly late, Tywin Lannister was still in his office wearing his most expensive suit, lounging in his expensive leather chair while drinking an expensive port. Late night plotting was all part of the Lannister aesthetic. Joanna was in his lap, and Tywin seemed to be getting great solace from her as he peered at Jaime, the son who had disappointed him in so many ways. Jaime tried his best not to wilt.

"What do you want, father?" Jaime asked, trying to keep his voice level.

"To talk," the Lannister patriarch replied. That his mouth was a thin line told Jaime this would be no idle small talk. "A father is allowed to talk to his son, is he not?"

"Of course. It is just usually I have Tyrion and Cersei with me when you want to speak to me."

 _As allies,_ Jaime thought.

Tywin almost smiled. _Almost._ "I do not wish to speak to your brother and sister. They do not need to be involved in things that involve the future of _LannCorp,_ the future of this family."

Jaime wanted to sigh. He could already tell where this conversation was going; towards Jaime becoming the eldest son and heir that Tywin had always dreamed of, instead of the flesh and blood man that sat before him.

"I told you, I do not wish to be your heir at _LannCorp,"_ said Jaime swiftly. They had had this discussion a thousand times before, although his father never seemed to listen to Jaime's opinion. "I want to be an architect, I want..."

His father clicked his tongue. "You wanted to be a superhero and look how that turned out. You murdered the man you were sworn to protect."

Jaime's objections turned to dust as he looked down at his hands. If he really inspected them - the blue veins beneath the skin as well as the crinkled lines of his palm - he imagined that he might still be able to see the red stain of Aerys' blood dying his skin mahogany. With his father so close, his power so pressing, that monstrous imagining almost overwhelmed him.

 _I am not back there,_ Jaime told himself. _I am here in my father's office. I am here._

Trying to find the courage to look back up at his father, Jaime closed his eyes for a few seconds and thought of the smell of Brienne's hair. It was the most soothing scent he knew.

"Why do you want me here?" asked Jaime firmly, puffing himself up. "I am not in the mood for reminiscing."

Tywin ran his fingers through Joanna's fur, and the great Persian cat purred appreciatively. "Jaime, there is more to being my heir than simply taking my place at _LannCorp._ There is a certain ethos, a way of doing things, and a desire to put the name Lannister before all else. It is time you accept your destiny. It is what your mother would have wanted."

"According to you, my mother wanted a lot of things," replied Jaime sceptically, not in the mood for his father's list of Joanna Lannister's deathbed confessions. "I'm sorry if I struggle to believe it when you add something new to the list."

The air seemed to bristle as Tywin Lannister grew angry, and for a moment Jaime thought he could see the flicker of wildfire out of the corner of his eye. "Don't smart mouth me, boy," said the Lannister patriarch, curling his hand into a ball in Joanna's fur. "You are my son. I expect things from you."

"Like what?" replied Jaime. He hoped it sounded brave, but he was worried there was a tremulous vibrato in his tone.

Tywin considered him for a moment, as if he were a god of the underworld weighing up his sins, making Jaime briefly wonder if his heart was light enough to escape all Seven Hells.

He thought not.

"You should know what I am planning. You should be aware of what I am intending to do, as you should be _involved_ in helping me achieve my aims as one day you will take my place as head of the family. It is your birth right."

Jaime went to object. "Father, I..."

In a moment, Jaime knew he had gone too far. As the Lannister patriarch stared at him with his deep green eyes - cold and cruel and calculating - the line separating Jaime from his past thinned. The smell of blood and wildfire burned into his nostrils, and in the distance, he could hear laughter.

_Burn them all... burn them all..._

The colours became brighter and brighter, and for a moment Jaime felt as if his memories would swallow him whole. Aerys Targaryen was drawing closer by the minute, his smile cutting as he reached out towards Jaime with spindly, pale fingers. If Jaime didn't do something, it would all be over. Aerys would have his hands around his throat and then it would be too late, too late to...

Jaime's father reached out and squeezed his hand; it pulled him out of the past and back into the present as easily as waking.

"It is your choice, Jaime," he said, his voice barely more than a growl. "A future with me, or an eternity in your past. It is your decision."

It was an easy one to make.

"I want to be involved, father," said Jaime, his words think in his throat due to how disappointed he knew Brienne would be with him. "I want to know what your plans are, so I can be your heir."

Leaning back, the corners of his father's mouth almost turned up into a smile. _Almost._ "I am going to win this election, and once I win, I am determined to stay in power. You will help me, and we will build a dynasty that lasts a thousand years."

Jaime wanted to object, but he knew there was no point. His father had just drawn the line in the sand. If he tried to forge his own future, he would find it impossible, as his father would just play and replay the truth of who he was over and over until there was nothing left inside him but the shadow of the man Jaime once wished to be.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked, emotionlessly.

Once again, Tywin failed to smile, but there was a glint in his eye that showed that he was very happy. "When I asked you, Cersei, and Tyrion to break into Winterfell and retrieve the security schedule for the entire Stark family, that wasn't on some whim."

"It wasn't?"

"No," said Tywin firmly, tickling Joanna's belly when she rolled over in her lap. "As all my other plans to prevent Catelyn Stark from winning the election have been largely unsuccessful, I decided the only thing to do was hit it where it hurts... where it _really_ hurts."

"And where is that?"

Tywin's calm expression seemed to tighten. "With her family, of course. A woman with five children has to have a maternal streak, despite being a ball breaker in the Senate. So, I passed on the security schedule you retrieved from Winterfell Tower to Petyr Baelish, and he is working on getting me one of Catelyn Stark's precious children. Her three sons are always up in Winterfell, so Baelish will go for one of the daughters who lives in King's Landing. He has always been strategic that way."

His father confessed the outline of his plan as if he were proud, while Jaime's stomach fell through the floor. Although he had never met the other Stark daughter, Arya, Sansa Stark was one of Brienne's best friends and she had never been anything but kind to Jaime. His stomach roiled at whatever Petyr Baelish's plans for her might be.

"Which daughter?" asked Jaime, his tongue thick.

"The elder, I think," said Tywin levelly, "Sansa. Baelish managed to locate a time in which she was uniquely vulnerable - she was leaving King's Landing with a friend - and sent one of his affiliates to capture her when she was at her most exposed. I believe the handover is taking place sometime now."

While his father continued to lazily stroke Joanna - backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards - Jaime's whole world lurched. He had only met Baelish a few times, but he was a slimy greaseball of a man that couldn't be trusted anywhere near young, pretty women. If Sansa ended up in his hands, there was no telling what he might do.

 _And it is my fault,_ thought Jaime desperately. _I helped father get hold of the Stark Security arrangements. I gave Baelish the key to her door._

"Where is the transfer taking place?" asked Jaime, trying to keep his voice calm in an attempt not to betray his disquiet.

Tywin shrugged. "I don't know, some abandoned swimming pool outside town. But that doesn't matter; what _does_ matter is that Petyr Baelish will soon have Sansa in his hands, and then we can put the pressure on Catelyn to quit the race of her own volition, leaving the path open for me. Once we have Sansa as hostage, Catelyn is going to be putty in my hand."

As he tried to pretend that this plan was something that he was interested in supporting, Jaime's mind whirred with possible options for where Sansa might have been taken. "And what do we do then, father?"

"We win," his father said. "And make the Lannister name great again."

His eyes seemed to gleam in the dim light.

* * *

It took much more polite agreement and deferential nodding on Jaime's part for him to finally persuade his father that he was happy to be his heir, happy to be his whipping boy, happy to play the role of obedient Lannister stooge. However, the second he left his father's office, Jaime was already trying to work out what to do about Sansa.

_Gods, where could Baelish have taken her?_

As he dashed out of _LannCorp,_ Jaime got his phone out of his pocket and frantically started searching for abandoned swimming pools in the King's Landing area on his phone. Unfortunately, his 5G connection was shite, so while he waited for it to catch up with him, he settled into a nearby restaurant to avoid the cold. He tried to ignore the suspicious look of well-to-do patron as he hovering in the entranceway, scrolling through his phone, desperately looking for somewhere that would fit.

_Come on, come on, come on..._

After searching so thoroughly his thumb hurt, Jaime finally discovered a derelict looking joint called _Greyjoy Aquatics_ just north of the city. As he looked through the pool's website, he became increasingly certain that this was the place - it was miles out, totally derelict, and far enough away from other buildings that it was almost private - so just had to decide what to do next. If Jaime went there himself, surely his father would punish him, and this time it would not be the faint suggestion of throwing him back into his worst memories, but the full hit. Visceral. Real. Burning. Yet what could he do? He couldn't leave Sansa to fall into Baelish's hands. She was too good for such a fate and did not deserve to be used as a pawn in someone else's game.

 _I've got to save her,_ thought Jaime. _But how?_

The obvious plan was to call Brienne and tell her what he knew about Sansa, but Jaime was unsure if she would listen. It wasn't as if they were on speaking terms, after all. Yet at the same time, Brienne was a superhero. The Blue Knight could burst into _Greyjoy Aquatics_ and steal Sansa from right under Baelish's nose if she so wished.

 _No,_ he told himself firmly. _Brienne doesn't want to talk to me anymore. And why would she even believe me? She thinks I'm a bad person._

Therefore, the only option was that Jaime went to rescue Sansa himself and damn the consequences.

 _Sansa Stark is my last chance at honour,_ he thought sadly.

_Sansa Stark is my last chance at doing something good._

Not having any choice, Jaime rushed to the restaurant's toilet in order to get changed into his super suit. Whenever he was summoned by his father, Jaime was always ready to don the guise of the Kingslayer, as he never knew when Tywin Lannister would need him to commit some misdemeanour in the name of the family.

 _Not this time,_ Jaime told himself as he left the toilets to the sound of the screams of surrounding customers. _Not today._

The cab driver who drove Jaime to _Greyjoy Aquatics_ seemed to be in the pits of existential terror from the moment the Kingslayer jumped into the back seat, so Jaime tried to lighten the mood with some casual conversation, even as his mind whirred with thoughts of Sansa.

"So, are you going on holiday this year, mate?"

"No."

Silence.

"Got any kids?"

"No."

Even more silence.

"Have you been watching that new boxset about the Age of Heroes? I binged it in two days."

"No."

After that, Jaime gave up. In some people's eyes, he could only ever be the Kingslayer, especially when he was wearing the mask and cape.

 _Well,_ he thought darkly. _Maybe the Kingslayer can save Sansa._

By the end of the ride, Jaime hoped the fact he had not murdered his cab driver in cold blood or eaten his brains or something would prevent the guy from immediately calling the police, but he could not be sure. Consequently, he made sure to tip the driver handsomely before making his way inside _Greyjoy Aquatics,_ hoping against all hope that his presence at the exchange point would not be interrupted due to the foolish way he decided to get to the swimming pool.

Once the taxi had driven away, Jaime turned to look at _Greyjoy Aquatics._ The pool was a large building, with a roof that ascended in tiled, gradient steps. Not stupid enough to march straight through the front door knowing Baelish was likely around, Jaime decided the best thing to do was shimmy up the nearest drainpipe and onto the roof, entering the pool through one of the windows positioned halfway up. It seemed likely that he would be able to get in through there relatively undetected and, if not, at least get a good layout of the building.

 _I've got to save Sansa,_ Jaime told himself firmly. _If I don't, I am the monster Brienne thinks I am._

Once he reached the window, Jaime peered through to get accustomed to what he was facing. Inside was a large room with the swimming pool at the centre, although there was a mezzanine level just below the window that served as a balcony for observers to watch swimming competitions should they so wish. Noting the mezzanine was empty, Jaime carefully worked at opening the window before climbing inside. He needed to get a better view of the situation if he was going to work out the best way to save Sansa.

Making sure he was hidden in shadows on the balcony, Jaime gazed down at the scene below him. Petyr Baelish - with his narrow, untrustworthy face, and stupid goatee - was already present. Although he looked entirely inoffensive, Jaime knew that was a mask, because he was aware of what the man's power was and how terrifying it was. Baelish could not just see into the future, but he could see every possibility, branching out like the roots of the tree, three minutes before it actually happened. It made him a difficult opponent, because he could anticipate what you were doing to do before you even did it. To top it all off, he was surrounded by too many flunkies, lackeys, and minions to count. All of them were armed to the teeth.

 _Fuck,_ thought Jaime, rather unhelpfully. _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

Yet Baelish and his men were not Jaime's only problems. Either side of Baelish were two people Jaime recognised, but feared. The first was a woman, famously known in the city as the Red Witch. She had long fire red hair that fell to her waist with a matching dress, and a sparkling red ruby at her throat which was the colour of blood. The man beside her was the Kraken, or Euron Greyjoy as Jaime knew him. By definition a salty seadog, he had a dark hair and beard, with blue lips from drinking too much shade of the evening, and an eyepatch that some said covered something too horrible to be imagined. Due to his long acquaintance with the man, Jaime was also aware he was certifiably insane, so knew he had to be careful.

"Where is he?" growled the Kraken at Baelish, barely able to keep his temper at bay. "You said he would be here by now. Why is he so fucking late?"

The goateed mastermind gave the Kraken a weak smile. "I know our guests will be here soon. Do not worry."

"And how to you know that?" barked back the Kraken, clearly unhappy with Baelish's reassurances.

"Because of his power," interjected the Red Witch, clearly irritated with her newfound ally. "Just because you cannot see beyond the end of your nose, it does not mean that the terrors do not wait you out there. The night is dark and full of terrors, and Baelish is fortunate enough to see them before they are upon us."

The Kraken laughed disbelievingly. "The Jester is a horror, is he? The last time I worked with Dontos, he got drunk and fell asleep on the job. Why do you even trust he will be here?"

"It sometimes pays to have a weak link in the chain," said Baelish distantly, "because sometimes, plans are designed to be foiled."

Not understanding that cryptic comment, Jaime almost wanted to impulsively shout out and ask for clarification. However, there was no such need as, right at that moment, the doors of the swimming pool burst open and the Jester made his appearance with Sansa at his side.

Brienne's best friend was bound by her hands with a gag across her mouth, so the only demonstration of feeling on her part were her terror-stricken blue eyes, glistening in her fear. Normally so tall and proud, Jaime found it shocking that Sansa now cowered. The Jester shoved her forward sharply, the little bells of his costume jangling as he made her move. When the Jester saw Baelish and his cronies already gathered, the man came to an abrupt halt, standing as still as a soldier on parade.

"I have brought Sansa Stark, just like you asked," the Jester announced, his voice echoing around the cavernous room. "Where are my ten thousand dragons?"

As the Kraken and the Red Witch exchanged a glance, Baelish smiled softly. "Thank you, Dontos. I am glad for your service."

"Where is my _money_?" said the Jester tensely, beads of sweat dancing on his forehead as he disregarded Baelish's courtesies. "It was more trouble that it was worth kidnapping her, and I'm sure the police are now on my tail because I left that riddle..."

"You know you didn't _have_ to leave a riddle?" interjected the Red Witch derisively. "That is just an aesthetic choice you've made to look like a badass."

"Yeah," added the Kraken, "and it's not even that convincing! If you _really_ want to look like a badass, you need to get yourself an eyepatch. Guys freak out and chicks go wild for it."

The Red Witch looked mildly repelled at that statement, so she turned to Baelish. "Are we going to get on with this transaction? I really need time to go home and dye my hair. Do you realise how regularly you need to redo your roots when you go for a colour this bold?"

"Of course," replied Baelish silkily. "Dontos just needs to hand over Miss Stark first."

All eyes turned back to the Jester, whose mouth had become an objecting line.

"Not until I get my money."

If a flash of anger passed crossed Baelish's face, only Jaime saw it, because he hid it well behind a conciliatory smile and a flick of the wrist that caused one of his lackeys to step forward. He was holding a briefcase and once he had marched towards the Jester, he opened it to reveal a pile of gleaming bank notes. Keeping a tight grip on Sansa, the Jester nevertheless rifled through the cash to see if there were any fakes before giving a nod. Baelish's lackey snapped the box shut and waited for further instruction.

"I want my money first before you get the girl," announced the Jester again, as if by repeating the point over and over he would get what he wanted.

Baelish smiled, but it was devoid of true emotion. "I want the girl before you get your money... and I have more guns."

The Jester looked around shiftily at Baelish's armed goons, before pushing a terrified Sansa forward. "Walk to Baelish, girl. Then I will get my dragons."

Jaime could do nothing but watch as Sansa walked the length of the pool between the Jester and Baelish, the Red Witch, Euron, and their crew. Even from this distance, Jaime could tell that Sansa was scared. Her wide eyes looked like two sapphires above the gag, and he could see that she was trembling as she slowly walked from bad to worse. The sound of her footsteps reverberated around the room - _clip, clop, clip, clop_ \- but with every step Jaime thought they sounded more like the ticking of a clock than anything else.

 _I haven't got much time,_ thought Jaime desperately. _I have to do something._

_But what?_

When Sansa reached Baelish, the man stepped forward to look at her, as if he were an antiques dealer analysing a priceless artefact. Locking his fingers under her chin, he lifted her head so he could properly scrutinise her. Jaime was far away, but he could still see the hunger in Baelish's eyes.

"I knew your mother once. You look just like her."

Sansa clearly did not know how to react as she just nodded mutely. Baelish lifted his hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers; it looked strangely intimate.

"Everything I am doing is for your own good. You must understand that."

Having little other choice, Sansa nodded again.

"I will look after you... protect you... and I will do anything necessary in order to keep you safe."

Another nod.

"Including this."

Jaime heard the gunshot before he saw the weapon. With his free hand, Baelish had reached beneath his jacket to pull a small silver pistol out from his belt while everyone was distracted by Sansa. Not showing any sign of emotion, Baelish shot the Jester right in the centre of the chest. It had happened so suddenly that Dontos Hollard did not even time to register that he had been shot before he was tumbled to the floor, his blood pooling out around him to form an outline around a body in a crime scene.

From beneath her gag, Sansa let out a scream that might have been strong enough to wake the dead if it was not dampened by a piece of cloth and the abandoned atmosphere of the swimming pool. Swiftly putting his gun back in his belt, Baelish turned to her.

"Sweetling, we must go," Baelish said, almost tenderly.

Sansa, however, was not listening. She was still screaming, staring in horror at the bloodied mess on the floor that used to be Dontos Hollard. Even the Red Witch looked somewhat alarmed, but Baelish seemed to think there was no time for such human emotions as mounting dread and horror as the tiles turned red with the Jester's blood.

"Come," Baelish said authoritatively to his men, which caused them all to turn and face him. "If we are to avoid the imminent lover's reunion, we must all leave now. Corbray, Brune, it is important that we..."

"Stop. Right. There."

Jaime was so busy wondering over Baelish's cryptic statement that he barely noticed the moment Brienne entered the room, yet he immediately regretted his obliviousness: she looked _majestic._ As ever, her super suit clung to her body under her plate armour, revealing just how strong, muscular, and wondrous she was; a superhero in name as well as deed. While she was wearing the Blue Knight's mask, Jaime could see the woman he loved underneath. Her power was unmistakable.

Petyr Baelish did not seem awestruck, however, merely amused. "Ah, it is King's Landing very own Caped Crusader. What are you doing here, Blue Knight, pray tell?"

"The Jester kidnapped my best... I mean the Jester kidnapped Sansa Stark, the daughter of one of the most important people in the city," said the Blue Knight, stumbling over the reality of her true identity. "He left a riddle and I followed him here... but it seems you got to him first."

The Blue Knight glanced at the Jester's dead body, before looking back at Baelish. There was such disdainful fury in her eyes that Jaime knew she would struggle to speak, to fully articulate why she was disgusted with a world that could treat life with such disregard.

Baelish gave her a smile which did not reach the eyes. "That was very clever of you."

"It doesn't matter if it was clever of me," snapped the Blue Knight, her eyes shining as brightly as her name. "I am here for Sansa, so I would advise that you hand her over right now if you know what is good for you."

Although he loved and admired Brienne greatly, Jaime knew that was the wrong thing to say given the perilous situation she found herself in. Not only did Baelish have an army of goons, but he also had two superhumans who had no doubt been hired to incapacitate any intruders with super strength. If Baelish was the goatee twirling type villain, he might have started maniacally laughing but, instead, he just gazed at Brienne as if she were an incredibly dim child.

"Unfortunately, Miss Stark and I have an appointment, so you will have to reschedule with my friends - the Kraken and the Red Witch - if you wish to speak to her." He then turned his attention back to Sansa, who was trembling and frightened. "Come Sansa. We have places to be."

He took the knot that bound Sansa's hands together and led her towards the swimming pool's exit, leaving her little choice to follow. Baelish's goons then fell into formation behind him, forming a human wall that left no path for anyone to get through. Jaime hoped that not even Brienne was stubborn enough to try, especially as the Kraken and the Red Witch lined up on the opposing side of the pool, clearly spoiling for a fight.

 _What do I do?_ Jaime thought desperately. _I could use my power to seize Sansa now, but that would leave Brienne without help._

_Gods, what do I do?_

"Blue Knight," said the Kraken goadingly, his gold tooth glimmering in the light as he smiled. "I'm afraid we are not going to be able to permit you to follow."

The Red Witch's ruby necklace shone in the light, catching Jaime's eye. "In fact, you are just going to have to forget all about your little friend. Go home, Blue Knight. There are scary things waiting for you out in the night, that are much bigger and stronger than you. You must learn to pick your battles."

Even from the distance he was at, Jaime could see in the way Brienne balled her fists and drew her mouth into an angry line that she was drawing on all her stubbornness and hidden rage, and was about to unleash it with the force of a betrayed goddess.

With a tilt of her head, Brienne brought her fists up in front of her face. "You are wrong. The scariest of them all is me, if you dare hurt my friends."

"Come then, Blue Knight," taunted Euron, all maniacal glee. "Let's dance."

Acting quickly, Brienne removed her cumbersome armour. She clearly though that, given she was having to fight both the Kraken and the Red Witch near a body of water, it would be a bigger hindrance than a help. Yet Brienne had clearly not fully thought through what a time advantage this would give her opponents. They were formidable, after all.

As she prepared for battle, Euron raised his hands and with them came the water. With that simple gesture, the pool was no longer the flat plane of glass it had been when Jaime first arrived, but it was _moving,_ rising up like a series of grasping tendrils, reaching up to the ceiling. Meanwhile, the Red Witch was creating a ball of shadow and despair in her hands. It was dark as night and seemed to make all the shades in the room coalesce. Jaime did not want to find out what it would do if it touched Brienne.

Consequently, he was over the balcony at the speed of light, fixated on Brienne.

As the tide rose in the pool and the room became darker and more oppressive, Jaime slammed into Brienne, throwing her out of harm's way. They slammed down onto the blood stained floor, right beside the Jester's body, as the first tsunami wave swarmed over where the Blue Knight had been standing only moments before. Seconds later, a shadow ball burst into the tiles beside them, turning them into melted ruined.

Brienne gazed at him; her eyes bright.

 _Thank gods she's alive,_ thought Jaime. _Thank gods..._

She shoved him off her, propelling him backwards with her sheer strength.

"Don't think I won't fight you too if you've hurt Sansa!"

The Red Witch laughed as she launched another shadow ball at them, forcing Jaime to crawl up and onto Brienne and roll them both away. As the shadow hit another tile behind them, it exploded into a burst of ceramic shards and dust. One cut Jaime's cheek, but he barely noticed.

"I'm not here to fight you," he announced as he got to his feet, pulling her with him. "I'm here to save you!"

"What from?"

"Us."

Jaime turned around to see the Red Witch smirking at them both and, before he could stop her, she had produced a shadowy lasso from think air and had whipped it around Brienne's waist, creating a lacerating mask. In spite of her super strength, the Blue Knight flew backwards, the Red Witch's laugh the soundtrack to her vulnerability.

"Let go of her!" shouted Jaime, anger overcoming him. "I said, let--"

Distracted by the Red Witch, Jaime had not noticed that Euron was once again upon him. He never got to finish his sentence, as a jet of water hit him in his chest, blasting the words out of his mouth and propelling him backwards. There was a huge crunching sound as he landed on the floor, and Jaime had to gasp for breath in an effort to overcome the pain.

"My, my, if it isn't little Jaime Lannister?" crowed Euron, once again the schoolyard bully who had picked fights with those weaker than him. "Where do you think you are going?"

As he tried to think of an answer, Jaime could hear Brienne struggling with the Red Witch and her magical lasso. She was putting up a valiant fight, but Jaime could not help but think this was hopeless. With every passing second, Sansa was getting further and further away; they were better off retreating and coming up with a better plan.

_But what?_

"I'm here to help the Blue Knight!" he managed to rasp, getting to his feet. "You should leave Sansa out of this!"

The Kraken smirked. "And I thought you were one of us. One of the _bad guys._ I seem to recall that Brynden was just as disgusted with you as he was with me when he expelled us both."

"We weren't expelled _together,"_ insisted Jaime indignantly. "You had nearly killed Falia Flowers, I was just lazy."

"And yet what did he call the both of us? Oh yeah, _wannabe villains."_

"I'm nothing like you!" thundered Jaime.

The Kraken laughed, crowing and mocking and full of years of dislike. "Clearly," he smirked. "You know... I've always thought you were a waste of space, Lannister, but I never thought you'd fight with the Blue Knight of all people. What's in it for you?"

 _This,_ thought Jaime.

Launching himself forward as fast as he could, Jaime landed a punch on Euron's jaw, knocking him backwards. Euron responded with another jet of water, but this time Jaime was fast enough to dance out the way, the fountain of water instead hitting the doors and blasting them open. Stealing a glance to his left, Jaime saw that Brienne had managed to free herself from the Red Witch's lasso and was now fighting her with everything she had. It was difficult, because the Red Witch used her abilities as a shadowbinder to keep Brienne at a distance, meaning the Blue Knight was working defensively rather than aggressively, but it gave Jaime all the inspiration her needed.

 _She can be my knight,_ he thought. _And I'll be hers._

Without saying a word to one another, Jaime and Brienne fell into formation and became two arms of the same person; she the right, he the left. While Jaime focussed on Euron, Brienne duelled with the Red Witch, and as they danced together, the fighting became harder and harder in a crescendo of shadow and water.

"You think you can fight me?" taunted Euron, as tendrils of water reached out of the pool to grab at Jaime's feet. "Pretty boy Lannister, only something special because of Daddy's money!"

That taunt earned Euron a kick in the stomach. "I'm much more than that!"

He proved it in a whirlwind of high speed punches and kicks that left Euron disorientated. Although he had great power - he had command of the oceans (and swimming pools) after all - Euron was like an oncoming storm, slow but deadly. In contrast, Jaime was fast and accurate, but devoid of the necessary power to totally decimate Euron.

The Kraken took that reality as an opportunity to gloat.

"I will go down in history as the man who killed the great and noble Jaime Lannister!"

This time when the water rose, it did not come in a jet but a plume, filled with thousands of watery hands that reached out and grabbed at Jaime. Although he was quick, he was not quick enough. The hands pulled him backwards towards the pool, leaving Jaime nothing to do but struggle against them, while Euron laughed.

"You always were a disappointment, Jaime. Even Brynden saw that, in the end. And I bet Aerys did too."

For a moment, Euron's voice sounded strangely like his father's.

"You are lying. You..."

Yet Jaime did not get a chance to finish his sentence. As Euron's watery hands pushed him down into the pool, obscuring all sound of the fight above him, a heavy pressure pounded into his chest. It kept him firmly under the water. Jaime tried to kick up and out, but the weight bearing down on him was too much. Through the refracted surface of the water, he could see Brienne still valiantly fighting the Red Witch, refusing to give up. Gazing up at her through the surface of the water, she was a goddess in a stained glass window; full of light and deserving of worship.

 _Brienne,_ he thought as the struggle to breathe became a passive acceptance.

_Brienne..._

If this was the end, Jaime thought it was a nice way to go. Time seemed to lose anchoring to reality as he lost focus on the figures above the water. The Red Witch became little more than scarlet smear and the Kraken a shadow, but all he could truly see was the Blue Knight; his love, his Brienne, his protector.

_Brienne... Brienne..._

Distantly, Jaime thought he heard a splash, but it did not properly register as he was too busy floating in serenity watching the stars go out. He thought he felt some hands on him again, and they seemed too warm to be the Kraken's watery ones. Too weak to object, he let the mystery hands lead him, ascending higher and higher towards the final point.

 _Maybe I'm dying,_ he thought. _Maybe that is fine._

Even as the darkness encroached into his world, the light slowly dimming, there was something that pulled Jaime back to the land of living. A pair of soft lips pushed against his, blowing a puff of hot air into his mouth. Although there was nothing romantic in this - it was all to do with saving his worthless life - there was no mistaking that kiss.

_Brienne._

Although he was lost and floating, Jaime tried to hold onto it, as if it were more than an empty dream. He wanted Brienne back, the future that he had planned with her back, so let the feeling of her warm and close call him home, like a beacon in a storm.

When he opened his eyes, he found Brienne in the process of pulling away from him, so she could push down on his chest and continue performing CPR on him. Jaime prevented her from doing that by coughing violently, expelling the water that clogged his lungs and wheezing dramatically. From the way she was leaning over him, Jaime could tell they were once again alone, but he did not have time to wonder where the Kraken and the Red Witch had gone.

He was in Brienne's arms, after all.

"Jaime!" she cried, wrapping one arm around his shoulder and lifting her free hand to cradle his cheek, knocking his mask off in the process. "Are you alright? Gods, can you breathe? Are you okay? What were you thinking, you stupid man?"

It felt so good that she was touching him tenderly again that Jaime summoned all his energy to give Brienne a weary smile as he slowly regulated his breathing, wanting to move closer to place she occupied in the world. Brienne did not reciprocate. However, her lack of response was not through anger, just sheer concern.

"I couldn't let you take them on alone," he admitted as he struggled for breath, punctuating his words with gasps. He needed her to understand. "Baelish, the Kraken, the Red Witch, and all those heavies were just too much for you. They would have killed you."

A biting ferocity stirred behind Brienne's eyes. "I knew I had no chance, but I also had no choice," she said. To Jaime, her conviction was strangely admirable, and it was even more so when he noticed the bruises the Kraken and the Red Witch had left on her face before they had left. "As well as being my friend, Sansa is an innocent who needs to be protected. I couldn't abandon her."

"I wouldn't ask you to abandon her," said Jaime, trying to manoeuvre through this barrier of indignation and self-righteousness that Brienne was already trying to put up between them. "I would just ask that you picked your battles better and realise you cannot save the world all on your own."

All warmth vanished from her face. "You wouldn't understand. I can't just sit by and let bad things happen. I am a superhero; it is my job to save the innocent."

Although Jaime greatly loved and respected Brienne, her worst trait was her total inability to see life in the full kaleidoscopic ray of colours that gave it nuance and real meaning. Perhaps it was because she clung to the idea that she was on the side of the angels to give herself purpose and meaning in life, because he refused to accept that she was colour-blind.

"You think I wouldn't understand the need to protect the innocents?" he asked, his eyes wide.

The answer that followed hurt Jaime so deeply that he was a least glad that Brienne looked a little guilty as she said it. "Of course not. You are the Kingslayer. You killed the man you were sworn to protect."

"And what a man he was," said Jaime, the distant smell of wildfire suddenly overcoming the cloying smell of chlorine coming from the pool. "Aerys, I mean."

"He was an elected Senator," interjected Brienne, as if trying to justify everything. "He had just won on a huge landslide, and your father was his opponent. You did it for your father, you did it for..."

Given that he had just nearly died to try and save her, Jaime suddenly saw red. "I didn't do it for my father's ambitions or even my own. Seven hells, I joined Aerys to get _away_ from my father. Throughout my teenage years, he had used Cersei, Tyrion, and I as little more than test subjects through which he could assert his power. He used to lock Tyrion in a cupboard for a whole day without food or water because he believed that astral projection was a natural continuation of telekinesis, so Tyrion would surely be able to escape of his own accord. He put Cersei in dangerous situation after dangerous situation, with men who would do terrible things to her, to force her to use her power and bring them under her control. It wasn't my superspeed that made me run away from him, but my desire to be free. So _don't_ tell me I killed Aerys for my father, because it is not true."

"Then why did you kill him?" asked Brienne, her expression softening. "If it wasn't for power... or for your father..."

The answer was surprisingly simple.

"Aerys was a _monster._ I knew it almost from the moment I met him, and I knew him before he was everyone's political darling."

"How did you meet him?"

The story was long and painful, but gazing into Brienne's eyes, Jaime knew he would have to tell her the truth if she was ever going to look at him with the love she once had.

"My father wanted me to extend the limits of my power, so proposed I go north to study at the Academy run by Brynden Rivers. Given how my father treated me, I jumped at the chance... but maybe it wasn't the wisest idea. Brynden was fascinated by people with special powers - he could both mind-read and travel through time himself - and wanted to train those that he called _gifted_ to the best of their abilities."

"I had heard of Brynden and his studies," said Brienne slowly, in a way that made Jaime thankful that she was listening, "but I had never realised he taught."

"I wouldn't call it _teaching._ Brynden wanted people to fly before they could even walk and had a special fascination with mental rather than physical powers. Euron Greyjoy nearly lost his mind with how hard Brynden pushed him; you've just seen the Kraken's particular brand of lunacy yourself."

Brienne tore her eyes away from him for a moment to look at the half empty pool that had been drained by the Kraken's terrifying ability to summon storms. As Jaime gazed at her, he wondered if she was finally starting to accept that the suit she had made for him to wear did not quite fit.

"Did Brynden teach you?"

"A little, but he was not really interested in me," said Jaime, remembering how hurt that had made him at the time. "I had a physical power and he was much more interested in people who could bend the space-time continuum with their minds and shit like that. Because I could _only_ run fast, I mostly spent my days smoking behind the bike sheds with others that Brynden didn't care about. We called ourselves the Kingsguard because we thought it sounded cool, and it was also the name of Arthur's favourite band... and we were pretentious as hell."

For the first time since he had woken up, Brienne gave Jaime something approaching a smile and, as she did so, she reached up to wipe a tendril of wet hair out of his eyes. "You still are pretentious as hell."

"And that was the least of our crimes," said Jaime, wanting her to know how sorry he was for the past that pressed on his soul, but he could not change. "We didn't want to be at Brynden's stupid school - not when he paid no attention to us - so after he expelled us, when Aerys Targaryen came knocking, none of us said no."

"Aerys Targaryen approached you?" asked Brienne, surprised.

Jaime nodded. "He wanted to make a run for Senator, and he said need people like him around him. People he could trust."

That statement confused Brienne. Her expression became clouded, like a sun being blocked out on a rainy day. "Like him?"

"People who had... powers," said Jaime, shuddering. He tried to tell himself it was because he was cold and wet, but he remembered the way Aerys' eyes had burned when he had told a young, impressionable boy that he was _special_ so well that he knew it was a lie _._ "It wasn't widely known, but Aerys could start fires. Not big ones, mind, but little ones... and only one tiny spark can set a whole forest ablaze."

"What are you saying?" probed Brienne, pushing at the corners of Jaime's memories until he broke, unable to deny her anything. "Did Aerys have _powers?"_

"Yes, but he was not powerful enough to hold a whole city to ransom himself. He hired us, the members of the Kingsguard, to do his dirty work for him. Everybody knows that part of Aerys' campaign promise was to allow those with powers to live freely without persecution..."

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

Jaime cut across Brienne. "Yes, but that was only the beginning. Aerys thought he and others like him were _superior_ to the people in the clubs and bars of Flea Bottom, to the diners along the Blackwater, to the children in the city's schools. He thought those without powers should live in thrall of those with them and for someone like me - who had always felt powerless in the face of his father - it was an intoxicating prospect. And I wanted to be of service, to _help_ people like me, but I quickly realised that sticking with Aerys was not the best way to do that."

Cradled in Brienne's arms, Jaime thought he would eventually receive her love and understanding. It was too close to an embrace, after all. However, she continued to look confused as he told his story, and soon had to interrupt.

"What made you realise that Aerys was bad news?"

"The fires," Jaime answered distantly, almost able to see them in his mind's eye. "It is not widely known, but corruption runs deep in King's Landing. Aerys' reputation as the beloved Senator was a confected lie, as behind the scenes he destroyed those that stood in his way. He loved to burn things, particularly people, and that spate of necklacing a few years ago that was blamed on drug gangs was him. _Him._ He burned his enemies and enjoyed it... and I was forced to watch."

As Jaime's words became choked with emotion, Brienne's eyes became filled with concern, and she gingerly lifted her hand to touch his cheek. He sighed at the moment of contact.

"You _watched?"_ asked Brienne, horrified. "Didn't you try to stop it? Didn't you...?"

"How could I? There were so many people in thrall to him, All the other members of the Kingsguard - my _friends_ \- told me I should just go along with it, that there was a higher purpose to it all. Aerys wanted to protect us and build a life for us, so it was our job to protect _him._ Much good it did them though. I'm the only one left."

Her fingers felt soft as they danced up and down the patch of skin between his eyebrow and his ear, almost a caress. "Jaime... How? Why?"

"Aerys' son Rhaegar tried to challenge him just after the election. He thought it was possible to live by his father's ideals without engaging in the type of violence that Aerys descended to. In a way, Rhaegar was right. Aerys' violence was a _choice_ he made, just like it was his choice to have Arthur, Lew, and Gerold murdered when they became expedient. But Rhaegar could not account for Aerys' lust for power and once he died in the fire at Trident Offices, the fire that _Aerys_ had lit, I was the only one left who could anything about the fact that he had... he found _it."_

Brienne stopped stroking his cheek at the ominous way he delivered his last word. "It? What is _it?"_

"The Dragon Amulet."

She gasped. "What? Aerys had the Dragon Amulet? But... but... but..."

"He's not the Dragon? I know, but Aerys _wanted_ to be."

Jaime could see as the horror of the reality he had just described dawned when Brienne's eyes became overcast. The Dragon Amulet was a magical item that enabled the holder to wield terrifying fire powers; some even said it could transform the wearer into a dragon. Aerys had been obsessed with it, because he had believed that with it he would be able to transcend the limits of his own powers.

"I was the only guard there the night he had the amulet brought to him," said Jaime, the memory coming back to him in full technicolour. "It was in a lacquered box, and his eyes were shining as he opened it."

Brienne shook her head; half horrified, half disbelieving at what Jaime was saying. "But the Dragon Amulet can consume those unworthy. The true bearer of the amulet is just about to keep their sanity against the sheer power they hold in their hands. If Aerys had put it on and he was unworthy, he would have been immolated."

"Him and everyone around him," Jaime corrected her. In the wrong hands, the Dragon Amulet could have the power of an atomic bomb. "He wanted to use the power to eradicate the city of everyone he deemed unworthy. And if it didn't work... well, the _entire_ city would have gone up in flames. As he went to put it around his neck, I _begged_ him not to. I told him that he could destroy himself and the whole of King's Landing, but he didn't seem to care. I think he believed that, even if he was not the chosen one, he would be consumed by the flames and turned into a dragon."

Jaime took a deep breath and, as he gazed into Brienne's sapphire eyes, he felt all the weight of the world fall from his shoulders. "I had sworn to protect him, but what would you have had me do? I couldn't let him destroy the city, killing millions of people, or even make himself all powerful. So I did what had to be done; I picked up that knife from the table and I stabbed him in the back, and then I cut his throat to make sure I was dead. A little while later, Police Chief Stark entered and found me covered in blood, with the Dragon Amulet in my hands. I don't remember them taking it off me, or Stark arresting me."

"Ned Stark arrested you?" said Brienne, surprised, pulling him more tightly against her chest. It took all Jaime's willpower not to burrow against her and weep.

"Yes, it is what started all the animosity between my father and the Starks," Jaime admitted. "Ned looked at me with such disproval, even though he was one of the investigating officers looking into the Aerys corruption case. The man has been dead ten years, but I can still remember his revulsion, his disgust. My father managed to get everything brushed under the carpet, but still... why should the wolf judge the lion, when I was just doing what anyone in my position would have done?"

The moment Jaime realised she was crying; he lifted his hand to wipe away her tears. Her mask came off in the process, and she leant into his touch. "Not everyone would have done what you did," she said, her tears like pearls on her cheeks. "Not everyone would have been so brave."

"Then you believe me?" he asked. Finally, after all this pain, he was able to sense a glimmer of hope in the distance.

She nodded, confirming his faith. "I do."

"Then you don't hate me?"

Brienne pulled an expression full of regret and, for a shining second, Jaime understood how painful their separation had been for her. "Of _course_ I don't hate you. I just need time... to wrap my head around this."

"I'm not a monster, Brienne."

Clearly not immediately having the words, Brienne leant in and kissed him, and Jaime nearly came undone. This was not just a kiss to save his life, but one full of meaning and feeling; of him and her, and what they were to each other.

When they broke apart, Jaime tried to convey his hope to her with everything he had; in his eyes, his touch, and how he held her close. He needed her to know that now he had laid all his cards out, her wanted another chance.

"Brienne?"

Her expression was tentative as she searched for an answer.

"You are not a monster, Jaime," she said quietly, "but you are not a hero either. I need time... I need..."

As she had given him an inch, Jaime became determined to take a mile, so leaned in and kissed her again. Although her lips were soft and willing, that was not the gesture that gave him the most relief; no, that was the feeling of her relaxing against him, a message that she felt warm and safe with him.

Jaime wanted to give her even more assurances.

"I might not be a hero yet," he promised her. "But I'll try. Let me try. For you."

Another kiss told him that she would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the answer to the Jester's riddle in the last chapter was the swimming pool! 
> 
> Yes, Aerys and Brynden are Magneto and Professor X.
> 
> And yes, that was not a full laying out of Jaime's past. More is coming.
> 
> As ever, I would LOVE to know what you think, so please consider leaving a comment :D


	19. The Honour League

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Brienne ruminates on recent revelations, she has to work with unlikely allies to get Sansa back...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for coming to read the new chapter. There are lots of new characters in this one - the Honour League finally make their appearance! - and I just want to thank the JB Transformative Works Discord for helping me brainstorm possible superhero names. You guys are the best!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

Jaime looked up at her, his green eyes shining.

 _Gods, he is so beautiful,_ she thought. _Beautiful and damned._

Although Brienne's heart felt like a ship being tossed in a violent storm, she knew she could forsake Jaime now, so once he had fully got his breath back and had gone limp and languid in her arms, she helped him to his feet.

"We've got to get out of here," she said, as she went to retrieve her armour. "If the police find you near the Jester's body, they will leap to the wrong conclusions."

As he gazed at her with gratitude, Brienne could not help but notice how intensely vulnerable he looked.

"My bag," he said, gesturing towards the balcony, "it has my clothes..."

"I'll go get it," she said automatically. She wanted to be helpful.

Yet it was hard to part from him, even for a moment.

_Jaime..._

Once they left _Greyjoy Aquatics,_ Brienne took Jaime's hand and led him back to the Knight Mobile, trying to ignore the way he shivered when they went outside into the night air.

 _He is going to catch a chill if he stays in his wet super suit all night,_ she thought as she watched his teeth chatter. _I should get him somewhere warm. Somewhere close._

In the short term, the best idea was the Knight Mobile. Although it was not a bed piled with blankets, it was better than being outside in the cold air, because once inside Brienne could turn on the heaters and get her Knight Blanket out of the overhead compartment to wrap around his shoulders.

Jaime smiled. "Thanks, wench," he said, settling back into the car seat. "I didn't know the Knight Mobile would have so many mod-cons."

Brienne laughed gently, revving the engine then putting the car in gear. "I'm a superhero. If I want a compartment to store a blanket, I can have one."

"And apparently cupholders," Jaime said, pointing them all out with an amused expression. "And plenty of room in the back."

The way he met her eye at that comment told Brienne that Jaime was thinking slightly salacious thoughts, so she blushed, turned away and tried to concentrate on the road ahead. It was very difficult. There was something so iridescent about Jaime - his presence so warm and unmovable - that she feared that if she were to look at him, it would be like staring into the sun during an eclipse and she would lose her ability to see.

The journey back to Evenfall Manor was quiet, but Brienne did not find that surprising. What was there to say after he had poured his heart and soul out to her after nearly drowning? He seemed to carry himself more lightly after the confession - she supposed it was because somebody knew the truth about Aerys other than himself, now - but Brienne felt more weighed down. Everything had shifted after all, from a place where she and Aerys Targaryen stood on one side of the invisible line and Jaime on the other, to this new world where she was not sure what to believe. It now it seemed as if they were all on the wrong sides, like chess pieces knocked over mid-game, black- versus-white becoming black-with-white. Was Jaime good? Was Jaime bad? Or was Brienne herself polluted, because she no longer knew if she believed in the line that had separated them up until now?

They did not speak until they returned to Evenfall Manor and Brienne retrieved Jaime's bag from the back seat of the car. He gave her a hesitant smile.

"Thanks for the ride, wench..." he said, gazing at her cautiously. "I suppose I will see you around, I..."

"You are coming inside for a shower, and I will find you some dry clothes and then you can sleep in my bed, with me," she announced in one big rush, determined to get it all out before her courage failed her. "I don't care what Podrick thinks. After tonight, I don't think either of us should be alone."

She waited for Jaime's judgement expectantly.

His cheeks flushed. "Oh... thanks... um... that would be lovely."

"Great. We should get inside then. It is cold."

Jaime let her put one hand on the small of his back and lead him into Evenfall Manor. He shivered and, given the way he looked at her out of the corner of her eye, she could not tell if it was because of the cold, or her touch, or the effortless way she had taken charge of him. She chewed on that thought for a moment, up until when she went to open the door, only to find it pushed open before she even reached the door handle.

It seemed that her butler had been waiting for her.

"Miss Brienne," Podrick said sternly, his eyes not on her but on Jaime. It was as if he had a pre-programmed response already set to _adversarial_. "What is _he_ doing here?"

Brienne sighed. For all she loved Pod, she did not have the energy to explain right away. "He saved me," she said, directing Jaime into the house so Pod would have no way to object. "I'll explain in a minute..."

"He's the _Kingslayer,"_ hissed Pod, as if Brienne had not remembered.

She went to say something, but Jaime let out a dark laugh. "I am right here, Pod, and I think Brienne knows that."

"But..."

"Pod, give me two minutes," she interrupted, holding a hand up, "then I'll explain."

As Podrick glowered, Brienne turned away from him and led Jaime up the stairs, straight to her bedroom. She could tell that Jaime was feeling some sort of smug triumph that he was finally being permitted back into her house, but she tried to ignore it; Brienne did not want this delicate situation to be turned into a pissing contest between her sort-of-boyfriend and her butler. Consequently, she did not address the Podrick situation when she finally got Jaime into her room, lest he fracture this tenuous peace with poorly timed jokes.

"Here are your pyjamas," Brienne said, retrieving the pink ones Jaime often liked to wear when he came round to hers from the drawer. "Feel free to have a shower. I'm just going to talk to Pod."

Jaime nodded, surprisingly understanding. "Don't be long. I'm not the only one who needs to get out of their wet super suit."

Although Brienne knew he was not implying anything with that statement, but nevertheless a thrill of want tripped up her spine, as she retreated from the room, her heart hammering in her chest at the thought she might be able to have Jaime in some small way again, without the Kingslayer polluting everything. Unsure of what to say in response, she slipped out of her bedroom and into the hallway where, to her surprise, she found Pod waiting for her. Every muscle in his body was tense.

"What is he _doing_ here, Miss Brienne?" Pod asked, barely giving her time to think. "He's the _Kingslayer._ I know you loved Jaime, but..."

"He tried to help me save Sansa."

Pod's eyes went very wide. "What?"

"He learned from his father where Sansa had been taken and... didn't want her hurt... and didn't want _me_ hurt trying to protect her. And then he nearly drowned, and I had to revive him... and then he told me the truth about Aerys, and I just..."

"The truth about Aerys?" asked Pod, his face clouding with confusion. "What truth about Aerys?"

Brienne glanced back to her bedroom door, unsure of what to say.

"Jaime told me why he killed Aerys... and it was not for power nor greed nor for his father... it was because he was trying to do good."

Pod furrowed his brow and stepped forward, half intrigued and half resistant. "How can that be? Aerys was an elected senator, he won on a landslide, he..."

Only by being separated from Jaime by a door could Brienne imagine how it had been for him, that naive, scared teenager who had put his trust in the wrong man. She was the first person he had ever told the truth, and she would be damned if she was going to be the wrong person he put his trust in this time.

"It is not my story to tell," she said quietly, turning back to look at Pod. "But I ask that you trust me when I say that Jaime had his reasons, I believe them, and he _did_ try to help me today."

To her surprise, Pod did not instantly acquiesce with a _yes Miss Brienne,_ but pulled an unhappy expression and stepped closer, dropping his voice so to forestall Jaime hearing. "I know you want your boyfriend back, and I know this has been hard for you..."

"This isn't about Jaime," Brienne said, knowing the truth in an instant. "This is about the _Kingslayer._ I previously looked at him and saw a monster, but now... I'm not so sure."

Podrick shook his head in disbelief. "I'm worried about you, I..."

"I _need_ you to trust me on this, Pod," said Brienne. "Can you please believe that Jaime, the Kingslayer, whatever you want to call him, did _good_ today and he told me something about himself that made me see him in a different light. I am not asking you to trust him, I am asking you to trust _me."_

There were a few seconds where Podrick just stood there, staring at her unblinkingly, weighing up what she had just said. For a moment, Brienne worried that Podrick would make her choose - _him or me_ \- and she would have been just as stuck between love and duty as she had been when making the decision between Kingslayer and Jaime. However, Podrick eventually let out a long, dramatic sigh, indicating he was not going to put up a fight.

"Alright, Miss Brienne, I trust you, even if I don't trust him."

Given the conflicted way she was feeling, that was more than Brienne could ask for, so she leapt forward, wrapped her arms around her butler, and kissed both his cheeks. "Thank you Pod! Thank you!"

"You don't have to thank me," he said with a smile, patting her back awkwardly before pulling away, "but please be careful. Although you believe him now, he still found the strength to deceive you as to who he truly was. Be on your guard."

Part of Brienne wanted to argue and say that she had deceived him just as much as he had deceived her, because she had kept the fact that she was the Blue Knight from him too. Yet she knew that argument would only do more harm than good, given that she had only just managed to win Pod over.

"Of course I will," she said. "Of course."

More hugs were exchanged before Podrick finally ordered Brienne to go back into her room and get warm, because her super suit was still damp. She did what she was bid and, after goodnights, slipped back into her shadowed room. Her heart felt lighter than it had in weeks as she went to sit on her bed.

Perhaps things could be fixed with Jaime.

Perhaps Pod would end his opposition to them being together.

Perhaps they could all work together and find Sansa.

Lost in her thoughts, Brienne was only pulled back into the real world when the door to the ensuite clicked open and Jaime emerged, a vision in a cloud of steam. It was only then that she realised that the pair of pyjamas she had provided him with were still in a neat pile on the bed. Her eyes widened, taking in the sight before her; golden, glistening, and perfect.

He was completely naked.

"What are you doing?" she asked hoarsely. "And why aren't you in your pyjamas?"

Jaime shuffled his feet.

"I thought I could just... not put any pyjamas on," he suggested gently, the towel he was holding onto hanging limply at his side. "And you could just not put any on either."

Brienne swallowed heavily.

"What are you trying to say?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"That I want to feel you; skin on skin."

Something clenched inside her; it might have been his hand around her heart.

"No sex," she insisted. "I'm not ready for..."

"No sex," he agreed. "I just... I just want to hold you."

Brienne nodded, not quite able to meet his gaze. She then went to remove her super suit and tried not to notice the blush in his cheeks or the hungry look in his eye as she stripped. His eyes roved over her freckled skin as she peeled the tight super suit from her body, and he swallowed when he noticed her nipples were hard and puckered with anticipation. Once she was totally naked, Brienne finally found the courage to look at him.

"J-J-Jaime..."

"Brienne," he echoed, before slipping into her bed, the side he always slept on. It was as if he was putting an old pair of gloves back on, and they still fitted him perfectly. "Come here. Come to bed. With me."

Although the rational, sensible part of her brain told her it was a foolish idea, the desire to be wrapped in his arms once more was so overwhelming given everything that had happened between them that evening that Brienne followed his order. Climbing into bed beside him, Brienne went to lie next to him, so the long stretch of her body was pressed against his. He was so warm. Jaime tucked the duvet around them both then pulled her into his arms, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.

"I love you, Brienne," he mumbled, his breath tickling her skin.

She was not yet ready to say it back to him, but she did not want him to think that those words would never be possible. Consequently, she lifted her hand, knotted her fingers in his hair, and kissed his forehead.

Brienne found it surprisingly easy to sleep that night.

* * *

In her dreams, Brienne was with Jaime. It was such a paradise, that it made it difficult for her to return to the land of the living.

"Psst!"

At the sound, Brienne woke up, but did not open her eyes.

"Psst!"

She did not want to move. It was so warm, there was a comfortable weight half balanced on her, and she was bathed in a rich, masculine scent that could only be Jaime. She wanted to rest in it forever. Nevertheless, she knew she had duties. Blinking awake, Brienne discovered Jaime was half on top of her, his arms still wrapped around her and his face pressed into her chest. He looked so relaxed and peaceful that Brienne did not want to leave or disturb him. It would be like destroying a priceless painting by one of the Old Masters; a crime against aesthetic beauty.

"Psst! Miss Brienne!"

Reluctantly, Brienne turned to the sound of the voice, and discovered she could see Pod's face through a crack between the door and a wall, his eyes closed.

"What do you want Pod?" Brienne asked, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Jaime.

"You've had a call on the Knight Phone. Catelyn Stark wants you at Winterfell Towers at once to discuss Sansa."

At the mention of her best friend, Brienne opened her eyes fully and shuffled out from underneath Jaime, making sure not to disturb him. "Give me a minute Pod," she whispered. "I just need to get my dressing gown."

Pod nodded then closed the door, allowing Brienne to get up from the bed to cover her nakedness. As she fumbled around the dark room looking for her dressing gown, her eyes kept being drawn to Jaime's sleeping form. Looking so soft and vulnerable, it was almost impossible to believe that this was the same man who she had once nearly dropped off a roof in anger.

 _Jaime,_ she thought. _Not the Kingslayer._

_Jaime. My Jaime._

Once she found the dressing gown, Brienne wrapped it around herself and then crept out to see Pod, determined not to wake Jaime. When she was outside in the light of the hallway, she saw Pod's face was grave. "You need to get going to Winterfell Towers. Catelyn has called together the Honour League because she is so worried about Sansa. She wants you to come and update everyone on what is happening and help come up with a plan on how to get her back."

The light, airy feeling that had settled into her chest because of Jaime vanished at once. Although the Honour League were nominally allies in protecting the Seven Kingdoms from mayhem and murderers, there was a competition between them that would forestall working together and only make getting Sansa back even harder. The problem with superheroes was that everyone wanted to be the hero.

"I can do this on my own," insisted Brienne, folding her arms across her chest in annoyance. "Sansa is my best friend. I know her, I know I could get her back. I know..."

Podrick rested a consoling hand on Brienne's shoulder. "I know that, but Catelyn does not want to take any chances. She wants her daughter back, and she wants her back _now_. If you are quick, you can at least get your version of events across and have a hand in what to do next, before the Young Wolf and the Dragon have had a chance to stick their oar in."

Sighing, Brienne nodded. "Alright. I'll go and get dressed."

There was an awkward pause.

"What are you going to do about Jaime?" asked Pod. Momentarily heart warmed that Pod had called her sort-of-boyfriend by his name rather than his title, Brienne smiled.

"Just let him sleep," she said, thinking of his soft, delicate tranquillity that she was loathe to disturb. "I'll be back before he wakes up."

* * *

Given how early it was, the drive to Winterfell Towers in the Knight Mobile was relatively easy, so Brienne was surprised to discover Catelyn's office was already quite full of superheroes when she arrived. Catelyn was standing by the window behind her minimalist desk (which only had a fruit bowl on it), wearing a power suit and her hair in a high bun, looking every inch a future Senator. Her glasses were balanced on the end of her nose, and she was peering over them to look at the people gathered in the room, clearly weighing up this small fighting force she had collected together. The Honour League were all disguised in their super suits and masks, bar none, yet even though they were all very different, the colourful facades almost turned the group into Catelyn's personal army. The effect was such that when they all turned to face Brienne at once, they almost seemed like soldiers during drill practice.

"What is she doing here?" asked the Dragon from behind her red mask, her white blonde hair falling to her waist in tresses. "Didn't she lose Sansa already?"

The Dragon Amulet that Jaime had killed Aerys Targaryen for sat around her neck, glinting in the light. Brienne was momentarily distracted by it, wondering how it had travelled from that moment in Jaime's memories to around this woman's throat, but her rumination was interrupted by the man beside the Dragon, who was holding her hand.

"Yes," said the Lord Commander, his furs heavy on his shoulders. "She did, sweetling."

When the Dragon gave Brienne a withering look in response to the Lord Commander's comment, Brienne found herself snapping back. "I did _not_ lose Sansa. There were just too many of them. I was overwhelmed. And where were you two, anyway? That the Lord Commander is still wearing his furs suggests you were in your shag pad up at the Wall."

The Dragon bristled. "The Lord Commander has ice powers: he gets very cold!"

"You keep me warm, honey pie," said the Lord Commander, turning to his girlfriend.

To Brienne's surprise, the normally indomitable Dragon blushed and squeezed the Lord Commander's hand. There was an unmistakable sizzling sound at their touch; the interaction of their powers, which some rather melodramatically called the Song of Ice and Fire, always did have a habit of sounding like cooking bacon in Brienne's view. It wasn't terribly romantic.

Yet Brienne was not distracted by their display for long as Giantsbane - who stood beside the Dragon and the Lord Commander in his shaggy super suit - guffawed with laughter. "You still can't deny it though, can you? You _were_ up in your shag pad at the Wall."

"At least I have a shag pad," snapped back the Lord Commander, blushing furiously, "unlike you. Everyone knows the rumours."

Everyone _did_ know the rumours; Giantsbane - perhaps made clear by his title - had a thing for giants, and often used his exponential growth power to woo them rather than save anybody North of the Wall. And the thing about giants was that they didn't normally fit in a bachelor pad, and preferred a bit of public exhibitionism when it came to their romantic lives. At the Lord Commander's comment, Giantsbane let out a hearty laugh, before turning to look at Brienne, his eyes shining. "Well, I was thinking about changing my ways and getting one in King's Landing. There's a woman I have my eye on... a very _big_ woman... who might like to be wooed in a more traditional way."

"Anyway," said Brienne loudly, pronouncing each syllable in order to prevent Giantsbane hitting on her just as he had done at the Honour League Sevenmas Party, and turned her attention back to Catelyn. "I am here because you called about Sansa."

"Where is she?" asked Catelyn, the desperation in her voice palpable. "When Podrick called me last night he said that you had not managed to find her yet..."

"No," confessed Brienne, her strong sense of failure feeling like a dagger in her heart. "I managed to trace her to _Greyjoy Aquatics_..."

"Oh god," came a voice from the other side of the room. Brienne turned around to see it was Undercurrent, the dark haired young water-bender in a royal blue super suit. "Is that Uncle Euron's place?"

The woman beside him - Riptide - wore a super suit in a similar style, although this time silver, and she looked at her brother from behind her mask with an agreeing expression. "Yeah. He's left it derelict for years, but that is Uncle Euron's pad."

"He was there," blurted Brienne, "the Kraken, I mean."

Riptide's eyes grew larger in horror. "Our Uncle was there? Has he got Sansa?"

"If he has, she's as good as dead," muttered Undercurrent, shaking his head.

At Undercurrent's rather unhelpful interjection, the room exploded into panicked hubbub, which Brienne had to instantly quash. "No, the Kraken doesn't have her. He and the Red Witch were just there as a distraction to keep me at bay while the real target took Sansa."

"And who was the real target?" asked the Young Wolf from his position at Catelyn's side.

Brienne turned to look at him, narrowing her eyes as she did so. Given his red hair and the easy way he stood close to Catelyn, there was no doubt that this was Robb Stark, hiding his ability to turn to a carnivorous wolf behind a tight black super suit.

"Petyr Baelish."

There was a sudden, collective gasp. Catelyn's eyes went very wide as she glanced at the Young Wolf on her right and the Faceless Girl on the left in turn, her fear palpable. The Young Wolf's mouth dropped open, while the Faceless Girl cracked her knuckles. Given that she was a shapeshifter, Brienne was surprised how obvious it was that the Faceless Girl was Arya Stark.

"If he does anything to Sansa, I'll slit his throat," said the Faceless Girl, without a hint of amusement in her voice.

From the other side of the room, the Viper - resplendent in orange and gold - let out a hearty laugh. "Not before I use my poisons on him," he smiled, each tooth glittering. "One snake in the grass always knows another."

Everyone in the room seemed a little more reassured by that promise, the Viper and the Faceless girl were formidable opponents after all, apart from Catelyn herself. At the mention of Petyr Baelish, Catelyn's face had gone as white as porcelain, and she was wearing a glass-eyed look that demonstrated to Brienne that she knew something about their rival that made her retreat into an unspoken fear.

"We need to get Sansa back," she said firmly, her tone betraying that she thought the Viper and the Faceless Girl were treating Petyr Baelish too flippantly. "And someone like Petyr Baelish won't be taken down by poison darts alone. We all know what his power is - he can literally read every possible future three minutes in advance - meaning that he can outwit us all."

"Then what do you propose we do?" asked the Lightning Lord, static crackling in his hands. "Especially as he seems to be working with the Red Witch and the Kraken?"

There were concurrent mumbles to that question, which only stopped when Flower Power piped up. Flipping her honey coloured hair over her shoulder so she could look more perfect for the imaginary comic book she was always living in, Flower Power said, "we should ask the Blue Knight. How did she manage to take on Petyr Baelish, the Red Witch, and the Kraken all at the same time?"

The Honour League turned to look at Brienne as one, different levels of curiosity and disbelief on their faces. Hiding behind her Blue Knight mask, Brienne found herself stammering.

"It wasn't just me... I had help..."

"Who from?" asked Catelyn, one of her perfectly plucked eyebrows turning into pointed arch in her surprise.

Not knowing whether she should reveal everything that had happened, Brienne scrabbled around looking for an answer. "I... it was... I..."

"She got help from me."

The hairs on the nape of Brienne's neck stood up at once. Without even turning around to look, she knew that Jaime had just come strolling into the Honour League's meeting, all Lannister pride and unshakeable confidence. She closed her eyes, wincing, as the Honour League all eyed Jaime up, the prejudice palpable. Tywin Lannister's reputation was legendary and Jaime, by dint of being his son, inherited some of that dread.

"Jaime Lannister," said Catelyn sternly, drawing up to her full height. "What are you doing here?"

Jaime wasted no time. "I've come to help you find Sansa. I think I may know where she is."

"How do you know where Sansa is?" asked the Young Wolf, stepping forward as his grey cloak fluttered behind him. "Were you in on the plan to kidnap her? Although we haven't had a ransom note yet, we expect that this was done for your father's benefit in an attempt to pressure my moth... - I mean - _Catelyn_ out of the election race."

The assembled Honour League all let out a hum of agreement at that and began to pump themselves up to their full height. Riptide and Undercurrent stood together, ready to unleash a tsunami of water power against Jaime should he cross the line, while the Lightning Lord's hands crackled with electricity. Wanting him to feel protected, Brienne turned around to face Jaime, then went to stand beside him, a pillar of strength in his favour.

Jaime smiled at her in silent thanks. "If that is your theory, then you would be correct," he said. "My father is waiting until Baelish has Sansa in a secure place before he makes his move."

While Catelyn looked as if she was at least considering this turn of events, the Faceless Girl was just angry.

"Why should we believe you?" she snapped. "You are Tywin's son. This could all be a trap!"

"We all know the Lannisters are devious," insisted the Dragon.

"Yeah!" agreed the Viper, his dark eyes venomously gleaming. "Tywin Lannister has avoided justice for years, this could be another attempt to do the same. Why should we trust you?"

"Because he saved me last night," blurted Brienne. The Lightning Lord's eyes went wide with surprise. "He tried to help me rescue Sansa because he knew that she doesn't deserve to be a pawn in Tywin's game. We failed, because the Kraken and the Red Witch were too strong, but Jaime nearly drowned in the process."

Still retaining a highly sceptical expression on his face, the Young Wolf leant across his mother's desk and picked up an apple out of the fruit bowl. Evidently trying to go for the cocky bad boy look rather than a little nutritional sustenance, the Young Wolf began to throw the apple up in the air, catching it each time it fell.

"So what if you nearly drowned?" crowed the Young Wolf. "How can you help us, Lannister? So far, you've just confirmed what we all suspected."

Wanting to defend Jaime, Brienne went to answer the Young Wolf, but he cut across her. "I know a little about Baelish," he said, his tone level, trying to play friendly. "Although I am not certain, I believe he is in possession of a fortress in the Vale. The Eyrie is high up in the mountains, and it seems like a good place to take somebody if you want to hold them hostage for a while. It is difficult to infiltrate, especially if it is defended by the lackeys that Baelish had present at _Greyjoy Aquatics_ last night. If I were Baelish or my father, that would be where I would keep her until I was ready."

There seemed to be a reluctant sense of agreement amongst the Honour League at that; the Lord Commander and the Dragon nodded at each other, the Faceless Girl whispered something in her mother's ear, while Undercurrent and Riptide exchanged an accepting glance. The only one still in opposition, however, was the Young Wolf, who kept throwing and catching the apple as a kind of taunt.

"Well, thanks for your help, Lannister, but we won't need your assistance from here."

_Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch._

Jaime narrowed his eyes. "Why? As a Lannister, I could help you find a way in..."

_Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch._

"Or," said the Young Wolf goadingly, "we could just get ourselves in. We are superheroes, after all."

_Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch._

"Maybe it would be better to be subtle, though," said Jaime, "and not just go in all guns blazing."

The Young Wolf outright laughed at that.

_Throw. Catch. Throw. Catch._

"Only a defenceless civilian would suggest sneaking in," he said dismissively. "We are superheroes. If we so wished, we would have the power to crack Baelish open like a nut. You, on the other hand, are weak and would be no help to us at all. In fact, you would be a hindrance."

Given the goading in the Young Wolf's smirk, Jaime's reaction happened before Brienne could do anything to stop it. In a flash of golden light, Jaime dashed across the room at superspeed, seized the apple off Robb Stark, then was back at Brienne's side before anyone had the time to react.

"Don't worry about me, Stark," Jaime said tauntingly, "I have ways to defend myself. In fact, the last time you and I faced off, I seem to remember kicking your arse so hard you cried."

To reinforce his point, Jaime took a bite of the apple.

The reaction was instantaneous.

"Kingslayer!"

"Someone, quick, grab him!"

"I wasn't crying there was something in my eye!"

"He murdered my father!"

"Don't let him get away!"

As once, the Honour League moved forward, surging towards Jaime like a wave advancing on a beach. Knowing there was only one thing that she could do to stop them, Brienne put herself squarely in front of Jaime, holding her arms out to protect him.

"Stop! Stop!" she shouted. "You don't understand! Everyone just stop!"

A few members of the Honour League - notably the ones without personal beef against the Kingslayer - ground to a halt. Nevertheless, the Dragon's hands were alight with her fury, and she bore down on Brienne and Jaime like an angry goddess.

"He killed my father all to steal the Dragon Amulet!" she shouted, her purple eyes crackling with a rage so endless that Brienne feared she would never be able to extinguish it. "He was trying to usurp my father's power... my rightful inheritance!"

"No, I wasn't..." said Jaime from behind Brienne, but that insistence only seemed to wake the sleeping dragon as the fire in the Dragon's hands burned more brightly.

"The issue right now is not the past but the present," said Brienne loudly, wanting to put Jaime's case forward. "Jaime is a Lannister, he could help us get into the Eyrie. I know we have all had our issues with him..."

The Faceless Girl made a snorting noise. "You most of all! At the Honour League Sevenmas Christmas party, you got totally wasted and interrupted the Karaoke to announce your New Year's Resolution was to bring your arch-enemy, the Kingslayer, to justice!"

"Aww," murmured Jaime in Brienne's ear, "did you really admit we are arch-enemies in front of the rest of the Honour League?"

"This is not the time for that discussion, I am trying to defend you!" hissed Brienne, before turning back to her current raft of opponents. "I know the Kingslayer and I have had our problems in the past, but last night he tried to save both me and Sansa from the Kraken and the Red Witch, and I want to give him a chance to prove himself. He can help us find Sansa; I know he can!"

That statement of belief in her old arch-enemy once again started up a barrage of objects from the Honour League - how could they trust Jaime wouldn't betray them? What if he was secretly working for his father? How did they know there wasn't some ulterior motive? - but they were all hushed when Catelyn Stark raised her voice.

"Jaime, do you promise that you want to help find Sansa?"

Edging round Brienne in order to speak to Catelyn properly, Jaime nodded. "I promise. I know my father better than any of you, and I can tell you now that she does not deserve to be his pawn."

"Do you swear it?"

"I do."

His voice was filled with such passion that, in spite of her better instincts, Brienne reached out and squeezed his hand. While some members of the Honour League made disgruntled noises - most prominently the Faceless Girl - Catelyn made no sound as her eyes dropped to their joined hands. She ruminated on what that small, subtle gesture showed, before looking back up at Jaime. It seemed to make her decision easier.

"Welcome to the Honour League, Kingslayer. Now, how are we going to rescue Sansa?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As ever, I would love to hear what you all think!
> 
> In case anyone was a little confused at the identities and powers of the Honour League members, here they are:
> 
> The Blue Knight (Brienne of Tarth) - Super Strength  
> The Lord Commander (Jon Snow) - Ice Powers  
> The Dragon (Daenerys Targaryen) - Fire Powers (she is the rightful inheritor of the Dragon Amulet)  
> Giantsbane (Tormund) - Size Manipulation  
> The Lightning Lord (Beric Dondarrion) - Electrical Powers (he can use these to resurrect people).  
> The Young Wolf (Robb Stark) - Can turn into a wolf  
> The Faceless Girl (Arya Stark) - Shapeshifter  
> Flower Power (Margaery Tyrell) - Can control plants  
> The Viper (Oberyn Martell) - Venom powers  
> Riptide (Asha Greyjoy) - Shoots water jets from her hands (her power works in conjunction with Theon's)  
> Undercurrent (Theon Greyjoy) - Water bender (his power works in conjunction with Asha's)


	20. A Lovely Romantic Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Brienne prepares to save Sansa from Baelish, Jaime has other ideas...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can this be true? I don't believe what I see... I have updated this fic!
> 
> I am so sorry it has been so long. The world has not been very conducive to writing quirky little superhero rom-coms, and this chapter turned out to be a monster that I am probably going to have to split into three parts for my sanity. Here is the first part of what was originally meant to be a huge chapter.
> 
> In case anyone has forgotten the identities of the various superheroes in the eons since I last posted, here is a brief reminder...
> 
> The Blue Knight (Brienne of Tarth) - Super Strength  
> The Kingslayer (Jaime Lannister) - Super Speed  
> The Lord Commander (Jon Snow) - Ice Powers  
> The Dragon (Daenerys Targaryen) - Fire Powers (she is the rightful inheritor of the Dragon Amulet)  
> Giantsbane (Tormund) - Size Manipulation  
> The Lightning Lord (Beric Dondarrion) - Electrical Powers (he can use these to resurrect people).  
> The Young Wolf (Robb Stark) - Can turn into a wolf  
> The Faceless Girl (Arya Stark) - Shapeshifter  
> Flower Power (Margaery Tyrell) - Can control plants  
> The Viper (Oberyn Martell) - Venom powers  
> Riptide (Asha Greyjoy) - Shoots water jets from her hands (her power works in conjunction with Theon's)  
> Undercurrent (Theon Greyjoy) - Water bender (his power works in conjunction with Asha's)
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/185499852@N03/49717007888/in/dateposted-public/)

**This amazing comic book cover was designed by the immensely talented hillaryschu. Thank you so much!**

* * *

With its rings of defensive castles and terrifyingly high altitude, the Eyrie was one of the most impenetrable places in the Seven Kingdoms, so Jaime told the Honour League and Catelyn Stark everything he knew about the place and how it might be infiltrated in the hope that it might get them in. He wanted to give them the best chance at saving Sansa, even if it meant divided loyalties on his part.

"My father took my brother, sister, and I to visit the Eyrie once when we were very small, and it was treacherous to enter the place even when arriving there in peace. You must enter through the Bloody Gate which guards the High Road, before ascending up to the Gates of the Moon, before you even _think_ about trying to climb to the Eyrie. And then there are the three way castles that Baelish posts guards in. There is no way to get into the Eyrie by force. You would have to sneak in."

"Good," smiled the Faceless Girl, switching her countenance to that belonging to Lady Crane, a minor Braavosi actress. "I'm great at disguises."

In spite of the Faceless Girl's impressive trick, Undercurrent rolled his eyes. "The rest of us aren't, though. Saving Sansa is going to take more than one person slipping through the cracks. Remember, Baelish's powers allow him to see every possibility three minutes before it happens. If we are to have a hope of getting Sansa out, we can't put all our eggs in one basket.

Catelyn Stark nodded, her eyes holding a retreating storm. "Yes," she agreed, distantly. "If I know Petyr, we will have to have ten plans, a hundred plans, a _thousand_ plans if there is a chance that even one of them will succeed."

"It is good there are a lot of us, then," said the Viper, folding his arms across his chest. "We can split into groups and each come at the Eyrie from different angles."

"Or we set up distractions to make Baelish spread himself thin," suggested Flower Power.

Jaime shook his head. Although there was merit in all of these ideas, he thought the Honour League were missing the obvious. "I think the most important thing to do is pick a time to try and get into the Eyrie when it would not be odd for lots of people to be present. Petyr would already be distracted and perhaps not expecting an ambush."

"When do you suggest?"

It did not take long for Jaime to come up with an answer. "If there is one thing that is true of Baelish, it is that he loves to demonstrate the extent of his power and influence by having the great and the good dangling on his every word. He loves holding huge parties attended by the wealthiest and most glamourous people in the city. If we can get an invitation, we can smuggle a few of us in and perhaps find Sansa. The rest of us would then be tasked with creating distractions to ensure Baelish is preoccupied when we steal his jewel from his safe."

While there was a murmur of interest at that plan, the Young Wolf shook his head, clearly unhappy with the idea. "How the hell are any of us going to get an invite to one of Baelish's swanky parties?"

"Are you forgetting who I am?" said Jaime with a grin. "Jaime Lannister can get into any party in the city!"

Although most of the Honour League seemed open to that idea, Brienne raised a sceptical eyebrow at him. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded, even though he didn't feel completely sure. "Totally."  
  
Luckily for Jaime, he managed to make his boast come true. Using connections he had at work, he snaffled two tickets to a masked ball Baelish was holding at the Eyrie in honour of the _Silk Street Institute for Women's Education_ in a week's time _._ It had involved grovelling to Stannis, but Jaime found it paid off as it meant he could attend the gala without either Baelish or his father knowing.

"Stannis and Selyse Baratheon?" said Brienne, looking down at the invites in confusion at the next Honour League meeting (which doubled as a poker night). "We are not Stannis or Selyse. What good are these?"

Jaime had to resist rolling his eyes at her lack of imagination. "We only need to pretend for a while. I'm already an architect, I could pass as Stannis until we get inside, as long as I focus on not looking too happy to be there. And as for you disguising yourself as Selyse, just remember to make a snooty comment about the interior design every now and then and loudly remind everyone that you are now a pescatarian. You'll be fine!"

Perhaps it was his jovial tone, but Brienne did not look particularly convinced. Yet before she could object, Catelyn Stark stepped forward - hawk like - and made her opinion known.

"This is the best plan we have," she announced, gazing around at the gathered Honour League.

The Young Wolf raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Is it?"

"Yes," reiterated Catelyn. "And even if it _isn't_ the best plan ever, we've got to try and get Sansa back. The longer she is in Petyr's power... who knows what he will do."

As everybody knew Catelyn's ominous prediction to be true, before long, the plan was filled with all the details necessary to make it a success. The Honour League were divided into four teams. Group A (who the Young Wolf had requested were known as Team Alpha Smackdown), were tasked with causing a small avalanche on a nearby mountain in order to distract most of the guards tasked with defending the Eyrie from the outside, and consisted of the Young Wolf, Flower Power, the Lord Commander, the Lightning Lord, and Giantsbane.

"Can I be in Team Alpha Smackdown?" asked Flower Power.

"We are already in Team Alpha Smackdown, Marge," replied Young Wolf. "So what are you complaining about?"

She pouted at him. "My super suit is not made for cold weather."

"Well that's your fault for wearing a bra made out of vines and leaves," he snarked. "Haven't you got a Flower Power coat to put on or something?"

"I suppose," she groused in response.

Team Beta Smackdown Volume 2 (which consisted of the Dragon, Riptide, and Undercurrent) were tasked with setting off a series of controlled explosions around the Eyrie's defensive turrets, in order to scatter the team that went to deal with the avalanche and create mass confusion.

"Can't _I_ be in Team Alpha Smackdown?" asked the Lord Commander.

The Young Wolf rolled his eyes. "Gods, you are _also on Team Alpha Smackdown,_ Jon."

"Oh," the Lord Commander replied, his hope dimming. "Well, can I be on the other team then? Team Other Smackdown or whatever it's called."

" _Why?"_

"Because the Dragon is on that team, and we come as a pair," smiled the Lord Commander, taking the Dragon's hand. The familiar hiss of cooking bacon ran through the air.

She smiled at him from beneath her mask, her violet eyes shining. "Awww, honey bunny!"

As the Young Wolf rolled his eyes at the Lord Commander and the Dragon's truly nauseating case of PDA, Jaime could not help but glance at Brienne. She was determinedly not looking at him, her cool eyes fixed on the Young Wolf instead. Jaime could not help but feel strangely disappointed. Only last night they had slept in the same bed, naked and entwined, their hearts beating in time with one another.

"I love you, Brienne," he had whispered against her collarbone, revelling in the smell of her skin.

She had given him a distant smile. "I know, Jaime. I know," she had replied, without saying it back.

Mulling on Brienne's refusal to say those three little words she had once given him so freely, Jaime was only pulled back into the present by the Young Wolf's irritation. "No, Jon," he huffed. "You are in Team Alpha Smackdown. We have this all laid out, and we can't muck around with things now. Our team is going to launch the avalanche, the Dragon's team is in charge of controlled explosions, and the Viper and the Faceless Girl are in charge of getting the extraction vehicle to the correct point so the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer can meet them there with Sansa."

_The Kingslayer,_ mused Jaime. _Maybe now I am part of the Honour League, I should come up with a better name._

"I know," sighed the Lord Commander. "I just would prefer it if I could spend time with my girlfriend. Make it a date night, or something."

Catelyn shook her head in annoyance, taking charge of the group once more. "Operation Eyrie is a high level extraction mission designed to get my daughter back from two of the vilest men in the Seven Kingdoms. There is no time for a _date night,_ as you so inelegantly call it."

Suppressing a laugh at Catelyn's indignant upset, Jaime turned to look at Brienne. Could a high level recover and rescue mission also double as a date night, in which Jaime could once again try to woo the woman of his dreams? He quickly came to the conclusion that it might be possible because, when he glanced at Brienne, Jaime found she was already looking at him.

* * *

In spite of Catelyn's insistence that Operation Eyrie was a _high level extraction mission designed to get her daughter back from the two vilest men in the Seven Kingdoms,_ for Jaime and Brienne, he was determined it would also be an opportunity to put everything back on track.

_I can help Brienne remember the good times,_ Jaime thought, images of their first date at the Baelor Museum dancing through his mind. _And maybe then she'll find it in her heart to forgive me..._

Although he was playing the role of Stannis Baratheon, Jaime wore the expensive tuxedo he usually adopted for his father's parties, donned his favourite gold cufflinks, and styled his hair. This was the first time he was going to be able to spend proper time with Brienne out in public since they stopped dating so, while Jaime knew this whole _pretending-to-be-Stannis-Baratheon-to-break-into-the-Eyrie-thing_ was mostly about rescuing Sansa, he couldn't help but commit himself to a private _Get-Brienne-to-Be-My-Girlfriend-Again_ plan.

"I look hot," he told his reflection as he gazed into the mirror. "Super hot. She'll be all over this like a rash."

_Won't she?_ said a little doubtful voice in his head.

Catelyn had arranged for Jaime to stay at one of her friend's holiday homes in the Vale. The Royces had provided him with a comfortable little cottage to get ready in, so he had spent most of the day preparing himself. Brienne would be arriving in the car at seven o'clock that evening - per the plan - so they could get to the Gates of the Moon half past to take the cable car up to the Eyrie. Jaime was ready by half six, so then spent the next thirty minutes pacing around in an effort to burn off his anxiety.

_Brienne and I have never gone on a swanky date to a posh party before,_ he thought. _And I know this is not a proper date, but it sort of is... isn't it? If it takes a while to find Sansa, there might be time for canapes and dancing, and maybe a little kissing in the moonlight. And I know Brienne wants to do those things with me... deep down._

He was only roused from these thoughts by the car's chauffeur knocking on the door just before seven. Jaime took a deep breath; Operation Eyrie was a challenging and highly strategic mission which he was sure would test him to the edge of capabilities. Yet Jaime could not help but think that being with Brienne in such a romantic location and not being allowed to touch her would be even harder.

"Good evening, sir," said the chauffeur, who Jaime immediately recognised as one of Catelyn's lackeys. "Your car is ready."

"Thank you. Just give me a few moments and I will be with you."

The driver nodded and went to stand by the car as Jaime went to lock up the house and take a last look at himself in the mirror. He sighed.

_This is my chance,_ he thought. _To show Brienne that I can be a good person... and maybe get her back._

After running his hand through his hair one last time, Jaime turned off the lights and went to leave, his heart hammering in his chest. The chauffeur had gone to pick up Brienne first, so he knew that she was waiting in the car for him. As he stepped outside into the bitter cold, it was only the thought that this was a shining chance to prove himself to her that kept him moving.

_I can do this. I can do this. I can do this._

The chauffeur opened the door to the car for Jaime - in a way the Lannister part of him thought was natural - and he gave the man a nod before slipping into his seat. His breath caught in his throat at once, as Brienne was already in the car looking a million dragons. Too busy feasting on the sight of Brienne in a tight fitting slit dress, with a skirt that revealed one of her long, strong legs, Jaime barely heard the car door slam, and could do nothing but stammer as she turned to look at him with those luminescent eyes of hers, that held all the light in his life.

"Brienne! You look... you look..."

Before he could get his outlandish compliment out, she gave him a sad smile. "It's Selyse, remember? We're undercover."

Although her statement was undoubtedly true, there was also something tender and vulnerable hidden under her words, and he could almost see her trying to communicate it to him from behind those blue eyes of her: _Not Brienne, Selyse._ Selyse. _This is a mission, not a date._

Jaime sought to rectify that belief at once.

"I would still like you to call me Jaime," he said, his voice hushed. "At least when we are not in front of other people, at least..."

"Are you ready to go, sir, Ma’am?" asked the driver from the front seat, looking at them both in the rear-view mirror.

"Yes," replied Brienne stiffly, as Jaime noticed her nerves in her reflection. "It is probably best if we get going. Stannis and I would not want to be late for the party."

With a swift nod, the chauffeur turned and kicked the engine into life, the pleasant hum of the car cutting conversation off. Brienne turned to look out the window at the light snow falling on a silent world. There was such a distant look in her eyes that Jaime knew in his gut that there would be nothing he could do to grab her attention. While they were currently not technically masked as the Blue Knight and the Kingslayer, in _Selyse Baratheon,_ Brienne had found a new name to hide behind. By choosing to look at the snow and the street instead of him, Jaime could see that Brienne was trying to push aside how many nights she slept in his arms, their naked bodies entwined, because now she was being asked not to Jaime Lannister - the man she loved - but someone else entirely.

_Kingslayer._

* * *

The car got them as far as the Gates of the Moon, where they were obliged to get out and wait for a cable car to take them up to the Eyrie. Although the temperature was low enough to taste the cold up here, Brienne clearly found the uncomfortable silence of the car even worse, as she leapt out into the bad weather the moment the vehicle came to a stop. Jaime had been the one who retrieved Brienne's fur coat - that Catelyn had lent her for the mission - from the backseat, then came to put it around her shoulders to stop her shivering. The moment she did so, she tilted her head to look at him, her eyes big and blue and containing an entire ocean of sweet memories.

"You looked cold, Brienne," he said, bringing his mouth as close to hers as possible, as an excuse to be nearer to her warmth, to the tantalising heat of her body. She made him greedy. "I wouldn't want you shivering, I..."

"I'm Selyse," she replied, turning away as she tightened the furs around her shoulders. The snow caught in her hair. "And you're Stannis. We've got to remember who we are."

Jaime blinked, momentarily unsure of what to do with yet another attempt on her part to armour herself with a new name. "Yes," he said simply. "We do. I'm Jaime and you are Brienne, and we are..."

"Good evening, Sir, Ma'am. If you like to come this way."

Brienne leapt away from Jaime the moment the valet came over, perhaps intimidated by his smartly pressed suit and his mockingbird pin. It did not take a genius to work out that he was one of Baelish's men, sent to escort them to the cable cars. Not being the most talented spy, Brienne froze at once, but Jaime was better prepared. Reaching out in order to take her hand in his, he gave her a soft smile.

"Come, sweetling. Let's go. I cannot wait to get out of the cold."

Brienne squeezed Jaime's hand tightly as the two of them followed the valet over to cable car station. It was a small building which was half open to the elements, and once Jaime was inside, he could see the empty space and the overhead cables that signalled where the cable car would soon arrive. Once out of the elements, the valet quickly patted down the both of them and searched Brienne's clutch bag, before their invites were checked.

"Stannis and Selyse Baratheon?" asked the valet doubtfully, eying Jaime and Brienne in turn. Although Jaime thought there was nothing that gave their true identities away, the valet looked at their invites so sceptically that it sent Brienne into a tailspin. Sensing her nervousness, Jaime took control, and smiled at the valet softly in order to engender calm with a veneer of authority.

"Is there a problem?"

The valet narrowed his eyes. "No sir, it's just..."

"What?"

His eyes suspiciously flicked between the invites and Jaime's face once more. "I thought that Stannis Baratheon would be a little older, that's all."

"Thank you for complementing me on my youthful looks," said Jaime quickly, causing Brienne's lips to turn upwards in a frightened smile, "but I assure you that we are who it says on the invites."

"I..."

Before the valet could answer, there was a distant rumble, intrusive enough to cause all three of them to look around to the source of the sound but not threatening enough to provoke concern. The valet's eyes went wide at the sound and yet wider still when the walkie-talkie at his belt crackled.

"There has been an avalanche up the mountains," came an unfamiliar voice. "Someone needs to check it out. Lothor, what about you?"

At the sound of his name, the valet pulled the walkie-talkie up to his mouth, a stern expression on his face. "This isn't _my_ job! Petyr told me I had to welcome the guests, and I've got two of them here now! Gods, am I the only one who ever puts in any effort around here? Petyr would want... excuse me, Mr and Mrs Baratheon, one moment!"

As Lothor stepped away in order to swear into the walkie-talkie, Jaime exchanged a look with Brienne. With the sounds of an avalanche rolling in the distance, it was good to know a moderately good plan was coming together. "My dearest wife," he said, playing a role (while simultaneously musing how nice it was to call Brienne _wife_ ), "I think the next cable car is coming. Do you think we should try to get aboard while everyone is distracted?"

Brienne nodded, then turned to look at Lothor, who caught her staring even though he was busy hissing down the walkie-talkie. "One moment, one moment..." said the valet, irritated. "Why don't you send...? Hang on." He turned back to Jaime and Brienne, then shoved the invites into the latter's hand. "Go through. Your private cable car will be leaving in two minutes, and there is champagne on board for guests."

"T-T-Thank you," stammered Brienne, even though the real trouble had passed. She gripped Jaime's hand tightly, in a way that betrayed her vulnerability and made him realise that, even though she was a superhero, playing a part came quite unnaturally to Brienne. Therefore, although it wasn't very Stannis and Selyse, the only thing Jaime could think of doing was pressing a kiss to her freckled cheek. His chest ached when he saw the rosy colour of her blush.

"Yes, sweetling," she said. "I think we should be away."

As Jaime let Brienne lead him towards the cable car, he felt a little dizzy at the fact she had called him _sweetling_.

_Perhaps this can be a date night and a rescue mission all at once,_ he thought.

_A man can dream._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! As ever, I would love to hear what you think in a lovely comment or kudos :)


End file.
